Avatar: Shadow Factions
by Friedrich Der Grosse
Summary: Almost two decades of peace have followed the Hundred Year War, but its' dark legacy continues to lurk in the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom and the United Republic. As Team Avatar moves on with their lives, various conspirators prepare to strike, attempting to enlist the aid of a certain exiled princess... Told from the perspective of different characters in each chapter.
1. Character Background Information

There is a _lot_ of information thrown at readers of this story. For anyone who is less than familiar with _Avatar_ _: The Last Airbender_ or _Avatar: The Legend of Korra_ , I am providing some quick info on various characters, nations and organizations that I mention. It will be updated as I go along. For information on events that took place during the TV show or comics, I will provide a basic summary after I'm finished writing _Avatar: Shadow Factions_. Until then, feel free to watch the show or visit the Avatar Wiki website to find out more if you are curious!

 **Bold** writing indicates one of the Four Nations- Water, Earth, Fire and Air- or the Fifth Nation, the United Republic. Underlined sections  indicate individual factions, locations or organizations associated with one of those nations. *Indicate characters, ^ indicates characters _I_ created specifically for _Avatar: Shadow Factions._

* * *

 **Fire Nation: The second- largest and second most populous of the Four Nations, and the first Nation to experience an industrial revolution. It comprises a small, highly volcanic continent and a large extending archipelago, to the west of the main landmass. The Fire Nation is an absolute monarchy, ruled by the Fire Lord (called "lord" regardless of gender) from the Capital, although the Sun Warriors govern themselves independently. Most of the bending population bend fire, either from available sources or drawn directly from the heat of the sun; rare sub-abilities include Lightning generation and Combustionbending. Firebending is weakened during night hours and the winter, while strengthened during daylight hours and the summer. A solar eclipse temporarily removes a Firebenders' powers.**

Fire Nation Capital: the largest city in the Fire Nation, a fortified city-state housed partly within a massive volcanic caldera. The Fire Lord rules the nation directly from this location.

*Zuko: Son of Ozai and Ursa, older brother of Azula, husband of Mai, father of Izumi. Great-grandson of Roku, the previous Avatar. Former Crown Prince of the Fire Nation (exiled), currently Fire Lord. Firebender, swordmaster. Close friends with Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph.

*Azula: Daughter of Ozai and Ursa, younger sister of Zuko. Great-granddaughter of Roku, the previous Avatar. Former Crown Princess of the Fire Nation and briefly Fire Lord. Firebender, capable of lightning generation. Suffered a mental breakdown at the end of the Hundred Year War; after a brief period of confinement in an asylum, escaped into exile. Former friend of Mai and Ty Lee.

*Izumi: Daughter of Zuko and Mai, Crown Princess of the Fire Nation. Firebender.

*Kiyi: Zuko and Azula's younger half-sister, daughter of Ursa and Ikem, aunt of Izumi. Firebender.

*Mai: Daughter of Ukano, elder sister of Tomoru, wife of Zuko and mother of Izumi. Fire Lady and co-Regent of the Fire Nation. Nonbender, skilled with _shuriken, sai_ and darts. Childhood friend of Ty Lee and Azula.

*Ozai: Son of Azulon, younger brother of Iroh, former husband of Ursa (annulled), father of Zuko and Azula, grandfather of Izumi. Former Fire Lord, briefly claimed the title of "Phoenix King", self-declared ruler of the world. Former Firebender, capable of lightning generation. Stripped of his bending by Aang and imprisoned after the Hundred Year War.

*Iroh: Son of Azulon, older brother of Ozai, uncle of Zuko and Azula, father of Lu Ten, grand-uncle of Izumi. Formerly Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, General in the Fire Army and Grand Lotus of the Order of the White Lotus. Firebender, capable of lightning generation. Also owner of the _Jade Dragon_ , a tea-shop in Ba Sing Se.

*Ursa: Mother of Zuko, Azula and Kiyi, wife of Ikem and grandmother of Izumi; formerly wife of Ozai (annulled); former Princess of the Fire Nation by marriage. Granddaughter of Roku, the previous Avatar. Nonbender, _Noh_ actress and herbalist.

*Ikem: Husband of Ursa, father of Kiyi, stepfather to Zuko and Azula. Nonbender, _Noh_ actor.

*Tomoru: Son of Ukano, younger brother of Mai, uncle of Izumi. Nonbender, Fire Nation Minister of Intelligence.

*^Byakuren: Fire Nation Foreign Minister. Nonbender.

*^Aju: Elected Representative of Ember Island. Nonbender.

*Jee: Grand Admiral of the Fire Navy. Firebender.

*^Metsuji: Gunner in the Fire Navy. Firebender.

*^Nishi: General in the Fire Army. Firebender.

*^Tianze: General in the Fire Army. Firebender.

*^Ryoko: Colonel in the Fire Army. Firebender.

*^Yojong: Pyrotechnic in the Fire Army. Firebender.

*^Atsuro: Commander of the Fire Nation Air Fleet. Nonbender.

*On Ji: Commander of the Fire Nation Home Guard. Firebender.

*Qin: Former Minister of Armaments for the Fire Nation military. Nonbender, engineer and inventor/adapter. Deceased.

*Ukano: Father of Mai and Tomoru, grandfather of Izumi. Nonbender, nobleman and wartime governor in the Fire Nation's former colonies; former friend of Takeo. Former leader of the illegal "New Ozai Society." Imprisoned for his role in the _Kemurikage_ uprising against Zuko, two decades ago.

*Sozin: Previous Fire Lord who began the Hundred Year War and destroyed the Air Nomads. Grandfather of Ozai and Iroh, paternal great-grandfather of Lu Ten, Zuko and Azula; former close friend of Avatar Roku. Firebender. Deceased.

*Azulon: Previous Fire Lord who continued the Hundred Year War and ordered genocide against the Southern Water Tribe's Waterbenders. Son of Sozin, father of Ozai and Iroh, grandfather of Lu Ten, Zuko and Azula. Firebender. Deceased.

*Yon Rha: Former commander of the Southern Raiders, a division of the Fire Navy that committed genocide against the Southern Water Tribe during Azulon's reign. Responsible for the death of Sokka and Katara's mother; later imprisoned as a war criminal. Firebender. Deceased.

*Lu Ten: Son of Iroh, cousin of Zuko and Azula. Firebender, Captain in the Fire Army. Killed during the first Siege of Ba Sing Se.

*^Haruyama: Royal Physician. Nonbender.

Omori Mutineers: A large group of ex-Fire Army soldiers and members of the illegal "New Ozai Society" who have mutinied against Zuko's rule. Based in Omori, a Fire Nation fortress in the Western Air Nomad lands.

*^Takeo: Father of Shingen. Former General of the Fire Army, commander of Fort Omori. Regarded as a war criminal by the other Nations. Firebender.

*^Shingen: Son of Takeo. Former Colonel of the Fire Army, stripped of his rank for joining his father's mutiny. Firebender.

*^Rila: Daughter of "Combustion Man" (deceased), renowned Combustionbender and assassin. Firebender, capable of Combustionbending. Joined Takeo's mutiny due to blaming Zuko for her father's death.

*^Tomoe: Exiled noblewoman and leader of the illegal "New Ozai Society." Firebender.

*Vachir: Former member of the Yuyan Archers (an elite company of the Fire Nation Army) and later the Rough Rhinos mercenary company. Nonbender, expert archer.

*^Nodoka: Gunner in the Fire Navy, spy for Takeo. Nonbender.

Sun Warriors: A separate society who became the first Firebenders through an alliance with the dragons, they continue to protect the last two dragons at their hidden city of Phleung Woat, on an island at the end of the Fire Nation archipelago.

*^Soma: Current chief of the Sun Warriors, daugter of Jayavar. Firebender.

*Jayavar: High Priest of the Sun Warriors, former chief, father of Soma. Firebender.

*Ran and Shaw: the last two known dragons.

* * *

 **United Republic: A "fifth" nation created after the Hundred Year War out of former Fire Nation colonies, on the north-west peninsula and coastal lands of the Earth Kingdom. Inhabited largely by ethnic Fire Nationals and Earth Citizens, in addition to immigrants from the Water Tribes, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. Governed from the Capital of Republic City by a council of elected international representatives.**

Air Temple Island: An island just off the coast of Republic City, housing a newly-built Air Temple. Inhabited by Aang, his family and the Air Acolytes, a monastic group of Nonbenders dedicated to learning and preserving the culture of the extinct Airbenders.

*Aang: The current Avatar, formerly from the Southern Air Temple; member of the United Republic Council, representing the Air Nomads. The only survivor of the genocide of Sozin's Comet, and the last known Air Nomad in existence. Husband of Katara, father of Bumi, Kya and Tenzin. Close friend of Zuko, Toph and Sokka. Airbender, Waterbender, Earthbender and Firebender.

*Katara: Formerly from the Southern Water Tribe; runs an extensive healing clinic in Republic City. Wife of Aang, mother of Bumi, Kya and Tenzin; younger sister of Sokka. Close friend of Toph and Zuko. Waterbender, capable of Healing and Bloodbending.

*Bumi: Son of Katara and Aang, older brother of Kya and Tenzin. Nonbender.

*Kya: Daughter of Katara and Aang, sister of Bumi and Tenzin. Named after her grandmother. Waterbender.

*Tenzin: Infant son of Katara and Aang.

*Appa: Aang's sky bison, a rare species that originated Airbending.

*Momo: Aang's pet flying lemur.

Republic City: the capital of the United Republic, one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world.

*Toph Beifong: Originally a noblewoman from the Earth Kingdom town of Gaoling, now Chief of police for Republic City and founder of the Beifong Metalbending Academy. Close friend of Aang, Katara, Zuko and Sokka; mother of Lin. Earthbender, capable of Metalbending.

*Lin Beifong: Infant daughter of Toph and Kanto.

*Ho Tun: A police officer in Republic City, and one of Toph's proteges from the Beifong Metalbending Academy. Earthbender, capable of Metalbending.

*Hei'an (also known as "The Dark One"): Deputy Chief of Police in Republic City, and one of Toph's proteges. Earthbender, capable of Metalbending. Poet.

*Penga: A police officer in Republic City, and one of Toph's proteges. Earthbender, capable of metalbending.

*^Tanken: Member of the United Republic Council, representing the Fire Nation. Nonbender.

*^Yaou: Member of the United Republic Council, representing the Earth Kingdom. Earthbender.

*^Kivi: Member of the United Republic Council, representing the Northern Water Tribe. Waterbender.

*^Oyuki: Member of the United Republic Council, representing the Southern Water Tribe. Waterbender.

*Satoru: Shareholder in Earthen Fire industries, originally from the Fire Nation. Nonbender, engineer and inventor. Former lover of Toph.

The Triads: various organized crime factions, usually made up exclusively of benders, that plague many towns of the United Republic.

*^Shinzo: soldier for the Triple Threat Triad. Firebender.

*Yakone: Up-and-coming gang leader in the Triple Threat Triad, formerly from the Northern Water Tribe. Waterbender, capable of Bloodbending without the full moon.

*Zolt: soldier for the Triple Threat Triad. Firebender, capable of lightning generation.

*^Kaeng: Soldier for the Triple Threat Triad. Earthbender.

*^Sila: Soldier for the Triple Threat Triad. Waterbender.

*^Angakkuk: Head of the Triple Threat Triad, originally a smuggler from the Northern Water Tribe. Waterbender.

* * *

 **Earth Kingdom: By far the largest of the four nations, encompassing most of the main landmass. It has the largest ethnic diversity and population of any of the nations, although its' industrial and technological growth is slower than the Fire Nation or the United Republic. It is ruled by an Earth Monarch from Ba Sing Se, but many of the larger city-states and societies largely operate independent and keep their own governments, making it more of a hereditary confederation. Most of the bending population bend earth, rock or minerals; rare sub-abilities include Metalbending and Lavabending. Earthbenders are strongest during the spring, while weakest during the autumn.**

*Teo: Son of "the Mechanist"; a paraplegic inventor and engineer. Nonbender. Friend of Sokka.

*Lao Beifong: Shareholder in Earthen Fire industries, inhabiting the town of Gaoling. Father of Toph Beifong, grandfather of Lin Beifong. Nonbender, nobleman.

Ba Sing Se: The largest city-state on earth, its' walls encircling a huge agrarian zone and dividing society by class. The only part of the Earth Kingdom that the Earth Monarch has absolute control over, although he/she historically rules through a "Grand Secretariat", or first minister.

*Kuei: Current Earth Monarch, supreme ruler of Ba Sing Se. Nonbender. Father of Hou-Ting.

*Hou-Ting: Daughter of Kuei. Crown Princess of the Earth Kingdom. Nonbender.

*^Liu Tao: Older sister of Yiwu. Earthbender, former construction worker.

*^Liu Yiwu: Younger brother of Tao. Nonbender

*Jin: Innkeeper in the Lower Ring. Nonbender.

*Zaheer: Orphaned peasant child and expert pickpocket/spy. Nonbender.

Omashu: the second-largest city-state of the Earth Kingdom, a semi-independent vassal of the Earth Monarch. Located on the south-west part of the main landmass, encircled by a dense mountain range. Ruled by an elected monarch.

*^Ariq: Recently elected King of Omashu. Earthbender.

*Bumi: Elected King of Omashu during most of the Hundred Year War, and Grand Lotus of the Order of the White Lotus. Close friend of Aang. Earthbender. Deceased.

Puyo: the capital of the Hu Xin Province, located in the northwest along the border with the United Republic. Ruled by local warlords, though the succession after their death is usually determined by the Earth King.

*Fong: General of the Earth Army, ennobled for his services with lordship over the Hu Xin province. Earthbender.

Kiyoshi Warriors: a company of nonbending, all-female warriors from Kiyoshi Island, a semi-independent state on the south coast of the Earth Kingdom. They are currently in the service of the Fire Lord in an attempt to broker a stronger peace between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.

*Suki: Grandmaster of the Kiyoshi Warriors, originally from Kiyoshi Island. Nonbender, swordmaster and martial artist. Ex-fiance of Sokka.

*Ty Lee: Childhood friend of Mai and Azula, originally from the Fire Nation, now second-in-command of the Kiyoshi Warriors. Nonbender, ex-circus acrobat and martial artist, specializing in _chi-_ blocking.

*^Jeonsa: A recent addition to the Kiyoshi Warriors, and apprentice of Ty Lee. Originally from the western Earth Kingdom. Nonbender

*Kiyoshi: the Avatar preceding Avatar Roku, daughter of a renegade Air Nomad and an Earth Kingdom bandit. Creator of Kiyoshi Island. Founder of both the Kiyoshi Warriors and the Dai Li. Earthbender, Firebender, Airbender and Waterbender. Deceased.

Dai Li: the former elite Earthbending police of Ba Sing Se, devoted to ensuring order and control at any cost. Betrayed King Kuei by helping Azula capture Ba Sing Se during the Hundred Year War; declared criminals by Kuei after his restoration, resulting in the Dai Li going into hiding at an unknown location.

*Long Feng: Former Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, leader of the Dai Li. Earthbender. Imprisoned by Azula after the fall of Ba Sing Se; later released by the Dai Li during its' liberation, leading them into exile.

*^Xi: a captain of the Dai Li. Earthbender, capable of Lavabending.

*^Genpei: A lieutenant of the Dai Li, recruited by Xi after the fall of Ba Sing Se. Postwar, served as a policeman in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, while secretly feeding information to Long Feng. Earthbender.

*^Zicheng: An officer of the Dai Li. Earthbender, capable of Lavabending.

*^Yaesheng: An officer of the Dai Li. Earthbender.

*Joo Dee: The alias of various female sleeper agents who have been "reeducated"; often act as messengers for the Dai Li.

* * *

 **Water Tribes: The Water Tribes encompass the small continents located at the North and South Poles and a jungle-and-marsh infested region in the southern part of the main landmass; the three societies are divided into the Northern, Southern and Foggy Swamp Water Tribes. Although the Chief of the Northern Water Tribe rules all three in theory, each largely rules itself; the Southern Water Tribe has an elected chief, while the North and Foggy Swamp Tribes have more hereditary leaders. Most of the bending population bend water, including ice, steam/fog, and water inside sweat and plant-life; rare sub-abilities include Healing and Bloodbending. Waterbenders are at their strongest during the night hours and the winter (or during the full moon) and are at their weakest during the daylight hours and the summer (or during the new moon). A lunar eclipse temporarily removes a Waterbender's powers.**

*Sokka: Diplomat for the Southern Water Tribe; popular candidate for chieftainship of the Tribe. Son of Hakoda, brother of Katara, uncle of Bumi, Kya and Tenzin; close friend of Toph, Aang and Zuko, ex-fiancee of Suki. Nonbender, sword master and engineer.

*Hakoda: Elected Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe and General during the Hundred Year War. Husband of Kya, father of Sokka and Katara; grandfather of Bumi, Kya and Tenzin. Nonbender, spear-fighter.

*Kya: Wife of Hakoda, mother of Sokka and Katara. Nonbender. Deceased.

*Hama: A member of the Southern Water Tribe, taken prisoner by the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War. Eventually escaped using self-taught Bloodbending; used it to terrorize several towns before being recaptured by Katara. Waterbender, capable of Bloodbending. Deceased.

*Kuruk: The Avatar preceding Kiyoshi, originally from the Northern Water Tribe. Waterbender, Earthbender, Firebender and Airbender. Deceased.

* * *

 **Air Nomads: The least populous of the Four Nations. The Air Nomads established four monastic communities centered around the Air Temples: three in various remote archipelagos, and one in the mountains on the northernmost part of the main landmass. With the exception of Avatar Aang, all known Air Nomads perished during a surprise attack by the Fire Nation near the beginning of the Hundred Year War. All the Air Nomads were benders due to their higher connection with the Spirit World, capable of bending air; rare sub-abilities include Astral projection, teleportation across the Spirit World, and unassisted flight (the last one thought merely a myth). Airbenders were strongest during the autumn, and weakest during the spring.**

*Avatar Yangchen: The Avatar proceeding Avatar Kuruk, originally from the Western Air Temple. Airbender, Waterbender, Earthbender and Firebender. Deceased.

*Guru Laghima: Philosopher and poet, originally from the Northern Air Temple. The only Air Nomad ever believed to unlock the power of weightless flight; lived over 3,000 years ago. Airbender, capable of flight. Deceased.

* * *

 **Order of the White Lotus: An international order dedicated to preserving balance, made up of benders, warriors and intellectuals from various nations. They have largely answered only to the Avatar since intervening on Aang's side at the end of the Hundred Year War, with most of them sent to defend Ba Sing Se.**

*Xai Bau: Member of the White Lotus, former mentor to Kaho. Nonbender, master of various martial arts.

*^Sungwoo: Grand Lotus of the White Lotus. Earthbender and proffessor at Ba Sing Se University.

*^Kaho: Member of the White Lotus, former apprentice of Xai Bau. Firebender; deceased.

*^Nakken: Member of the White Lotus. Waterbender.

*Pian Dao: Grand Lotus of the White Lotus, originally from the Fire Nation. Nonbender, sword master.

* * *

 **The Spirit World: a separate dimension, inhabited by supernatural entities and certain humans who have left the mortal world or passed on; it can only be entered directly by portals at the North and South Poles, both of which are currently sealed. The Avatar, and other spiritually aligned humans, can project their astral forms into the spirit world temporarily through meditation, but at certain times of the year, spirits are also able to cross back into the mortal world. Time moves differently in the Spirit World than in the mortal world.**

*Guru Pathik: a once-mortal philosopher, spiritual expert and mentor to Avatar Aang, now possessing the power to glimpse visions of the future. Nonbender.

*^Maoyan: a _kitsune_ (fox-spirit).

*Wan: the original Avatar, inhabiting the Spirit World after his death. Firebender, Airbender, Waterbender and Earthbender.

*Roku: the Avatar preceding Aang, a Fire Nation nobleman. Grandfather of Ursa, maternal great-grandfather of Zuko, Azula and Kiyi. Former close friend of Fire Lord Sozin. Firebender, Airbender, Waterbender and Earthbender. Deceased.

*Wan Shi Tong: A demonic owl spirit who collects knowledge. Resided in the mortal world and shared his library with humanity until becoming tired of them abusing it, after which he dragged it back to the Spirit World.

*Zhao: Former Admiral of the Fire Navy, responsible for the Siege of the North Pole and for killing the mortal form of the Moon Spirit during Ozai's reign. Firebender. Driven insane and currently trapped in the Spirit World.

*Kao no Okasan: The "Mother of Faces", an ancient and powerful spirit that crosses into the wilderness near the Fire Nation town of Hira'a during the equinoxes and solstices. Able to transform people's appearances or memories.

*Koh: The "Face-Stealer", son of Kao no Okasan. An ancient centipede-like spirit with the power to see time in non-linear form, through people's choices; also has the ability to remove their faces if they show emotion.

*Raava: The Spirit of light. Fused with Wan to form the first Avatar; when the Avatar dies, she passes to a new host to form the next one.

*Vaatu: The Spirit of darkness. Able to feed off and influence negative emotions; seeks chaos. Sealed away after a battle with Wan and Raava.


	2. Prologue: Unknown

A flickering light began to illuminate the passage to the cavern, accompanied by a gradual rise in the temperature. The two green-and-black garbed Dai Li officers wiped perspiration from their faces, but Long Feng's face bore no beads of sweat; his expression was serene and composed, his eyes closed in meditation. More than two decades of exile had made him a master of waiting, and of listening. It seemed nearly everyone had forgotten him, or thought he was not worth hunting. But since his humiliation by Azula many years before, Long Feng forgot nothing.

* * *

He had been mortified at how easily the Fire Princess had cowed him in front of the Dai Li, and disgusted at how they had fallen under the spell of her charisma. In submitting to her, he had simply planned to bide his time and coerce the Dai Li back to his side after Ba Sing Se fell to the Fire Nation Army. Just as he had, after the Earth King had arrested him. But Azula anticipated that move, and prevented it by bringing the Dai Li back to the Fire Nation as her personal security force. Long Feng had spent the occupation of Ba Sing Se wondering whether he might be pardoned for enabling the Fire Nation to enter the city, or executed for threatening the Fire Lord's daughter; ultimately, neither happened. He was simply left to rot in the dungeons of Ba Sing Se, apparently forgotten. But Long Feng forgot nothing.

Only a day after Sozin's comet, something unexpected happened. Eight Dai Li officers had silently arrived outside his steel-plated cell, their gauntleted hands clasped behind their backs and their heads bowed in supplication. Two of them held a woman in blue and white blossom-patterned robes, her wrists and ankles encased in earthen manacles.

"We seek to re-enter your service, Grand Secretariat." The leader spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, his eyes hidden behind the wide brim of his conical hat. "We ask only that you lead us out of Ba Sing Se, to use us as you will until the Dai Li are once again able to enforce the cultural preservation of the Earth Kingdom."

Sitting cross-legged on the other side of the barred door, Long Feng eyed them with cool suspicion. The officers had been chosen by him personally for their ruthlessness and ambition; they would only come to him if they saw an advantage. "Why now? What could possibly have tipped the scales so far that you would come crawling back to me?"

The officer swallowed. "The Fire Princess… she has become insane, Grand Secretariat."

Long Feng started. Azula, insane? He had never met anyone as shrewd and calculating as himself, yet Azula's lethal cunning had surpassed even his. The idea of _her_ becoming unhinged seemed impossible, much as he would have wished it. "I very much doubt that-"

"She banished us from the Fire Nation on pain of death simply because it took us five minutes to answer her summons, Grand Secretariat." A younger officer piped up; he glanced over his shoulder nervously. "She ranted against plots on her life that had no basis, spoke to visions that existed only in her head-"

The lead officer silenced him with a look, then turned back to Long Feng. " It no longer matters whether Azula is insane or not. According to this woman-" he gestured at the captive "-Azula and Ozai plotted to burn a path of destruction across the Earth Kingdom from Yu Dao to Ba Sing Se, using the power of Sozin's comet. Their intention was to utterly demoralize the Earth Kingdom's people, and possibly draw out and crush the last of their hidden resistance. The plan failed, because just as the attack was being launched, Ozai was beaten by the Avatar, and Azula was defeated by her brother Zuko, who is now Fire Lord."

After a moment to process these tremendous events, Long Feng stood, letting his eyes bore into the wall behind his visitors. "If the dragon's head has been cut off, why have you not devoured the rest of the body? You must know the comet has already faded on the horizon; even here in my cell, I have felt its' heat wax and wane with the number of Firebenders in the city. You could certainly overwhelm the garrison now, if the populace of Ba Sing Se has not already done it for you. You don't need _me_ , and you've already made that clear."

He said the final sentence with an oily sting of contempt; he was still unsure why they had come to him in the first place, but psychological manipulation was a very familiar practice for him. The fact that the Dai Li kept referring to him by a title he had already been stripped of _twice_ meant they genuinely believed they needed him.

The leader swallowed and gestured at the two men holding the prisoner, who brought her forward and set her on her knees. "Her organization stormed Ba Sing Se during the comet, Grand Secretariat. It was unlike anything we had seen before. A collection of master benders and warriors from various nations, united in support of the Avatar and led by General Iroh, the Dragon of the West. The garrison outnumbered them twenty to one and were backed by the power of the comet, but within a day they breached the Outer Wall and had the Firebenders on the run. We arrived just as they were mopping up; we barely managed to enter the city undetected, then captured this one to gain information. It took all of us simply to subdue her."

Long Feng flicked his gaze in the direction of the prisoner. Although she had a Fire Nation look about her, her green eyes indicated some Earth Kingdom ancestry; perhaps she had been born in one of the colonies. Her dark hair was disheveled, her face bruised and cut, but her gaze burned with defiance. The Dai Li were better at brainwashing than torture, and for brainwashing they would have needed access to the Lake Laogai stronghold, which was presumably still flooded. He doubted they had gotten much from this formidable woman through simple brutality. "What have you learned?"

"Nothing she didn't tell us willingly. Once news came of Ozai and Azula's defeats, the rest of the Fire Nation Army either withdrew or surrendered. The Avatar will be coming soon… and he and Zuko have announced that they will be restoring King Kuei to his throne, once he returns from exile."

Long Feng's face curved into a smirk as he chuckled. "Oh, the irony! You're in the same position _Zuko_ was in before: banished from the Fire Nation, and hunted as enemies of the Earth King. So _this_ is why you've returned to the master you forsook: you hope I'll be able to help you evade prosecution for betraying your monarch. I'd say you're making the wrong bet, given that I've been deposed by two different factions in the same year, but you're the ones at my cell door."

"You taught us to follow the strong, and avoid association with the weak." The Dai Li captain met Long Feng's eyes for the first time. "What were we supposed to do when _two_ strong leaders vied for our support? Your position was already unstable, and at the time, Azula seemed stronger. We made a miscalculation-"

"One that has now cost you dearly." Long Feng sneered, but he was merely making a show of rejecting them, and they knew it. He had never been one to shirk from an opportunity.

"You as well, Long Feng. For if you hadn't, the Avatar would never have been able to bring us into the open. But here we are, hunted by all sides, in search of a leader-"

"You mean in search of a way out." Long Feng tapped the side of his nose. "I've only had you monitor the main road in and out of Ba Sing Se, since the Fire Nation never attacked us from another direction. The network of the Crystal Catacombs, the various supply tunnels that allowed us to withstand any siege… knowledge of _that_ labyrinth, I kept to myself. With good reason, it seems."

"True," The officer nodded, "but the Avatar knows of the Catacombs' existence; he and his friends fought against us and Azula at the reservoir, the day Ba Sing Se fell to the Fire Nation. Even if he doesn't find them again himself, his blind Earthbending companion will."

Long Feng nodded. He felt a twinge of respect for that girl, Toph… Beifong. Her senses and Earthbending abilities had been truly extraordinary, and he had noticed a hard, almost ruthless edge to her in their few encounters. Under different circumstances, she might have made a powerful ally. Now, though she remained an enemy, she was giving him an advantage: the threat of her return was putting pressure on the Dai Li to return to him, before it was too late.

"One question… and this one will determine whether we _can_ escape via the Catacombs, let alone if I will join you. What has become of Joo Dee? I know Azula used one of them as an administrative puppet over Ba Sing Se, but as to the rest..."

The Dai Li captain shrugged. "Azula took a few of them back to the Fire Nation, but she left the rest in the Upper Ring." His eyes met Long Feng's. "I would ask why, but I know better. You are our only chance, Grand Secretariat… and you know that we are yours. If we fall, the Earth King will either raise a new force of Dai Li, responsible to him alone, or abolish them entirely. No one will ever seek you out again."

The former Grand Secretariat chuckled. The threat might be genuine, but the one delivering it was clearly bluffing. "Very well, release me. I have one question for the prisoner, then we will make our escape."

The younger officer bowed, stepped forward and unlocked the door; Long Feng rose gracefully and strode through it into the metal-lined passage. He paused to savor the moment, then flicked his wrist. The Dai Li gave shouts of alarm as their earthen gauntlets detached from their wrists and flew towards Long Feng, solidifying into a single sphere of rock above his fingertips. He brought this down sharply on the hands of the prisoner with a satisfying _crack_ of shattered bone. A groan of pain escaped the woman's lips as he lifted it again, but nothing more. He was impressed by her fortitude.

"What is the name of your organization?"

Her bound, maimed hands trembled; a quick flicker of flame danced between the ruined fingers, then fizzled out. Long Feng leaned forward. "My officers may not be well versed in the arts of _chakra_ torture- our _reeducation_ technique is usually much more useful- but I assure you, I have read a great deal many more books than them. What is the name of your organization?"

The Firebender's eyes blazed with pain and fury. "The White Lotus."

"Really? I had thought they might have been disbanded, what with the Fire Lords wiping out half the other Nations. It seems there are some sects that hide as well as we do. You are to be congratulated on your… perseverance." Long Feng smiled thinly. "Whom does the White Lotus serve?"  
"You already know that."

Long Feng twitched his hand, and the stone ball flew upward, "I'm not in the mood for games. I'm on a tight schedule."

A smirk crossed her features in spite of the pain. "If you only knew what's coming for you… Even with the Comet, the Fire Lord never stood a chance. If the Avatar doesn't kill you or turn you over to the Earth Kingdom officers you imprisoned, he'll just take your bending away."

Long Feng felt a brief, cold chill on the back of his neck, though he kept his face impassive. "That's impossible."

"Tell that to Ozai," She spat back, "When you join him in Hell!"

Long Feng knew there was nothing further to be gained here. He gestured, and the stone ball re-shaped itself into a jagged stalactite; another gesture, and it plummeted downward. The Dai Li did not look away, did not react.

"You." He gestured at one of the officers, a stocky man with a brown beard. "Deal with the body and see to it that no trail is left for the Beifong girl to follow us. If I notice any sign of pursuit before we've reached the Serpent's Pass, you'll wish you were _her_." He turned toward the passageway that led to the military headquarters. "Captain, what is your name?"

"Xi, Sir."

"How many agents do you have active in Ba Sing Se apart from this group, Captain Xi?"

"Only twenty, all in the Upper Ring. But around three hundred veteran officers are lying in wait beyond the Outer Wall, including a few trained in the reeducation program."

Long Feng nodded. "Good for a start. Send two of them to find the nearest Joo Dee, then make for the reservoir in the Crystal Catacombs. We'll make our escape once she is successfully retrieved."

Xi bowed and gestured to two of his men, who sped off down a passage connected to the Royal Citadel. None of them knew why they needed a brainwashed agent to get out of Ba Sing Se; they simply let Long Feng lead, trusting in knowledge that had been long forgotten by their generation. But Long Feng forgot nothing.

* * *

Now he opened his eyes as the source of the glow entered the main cavern, revealing the man he had invited to his sanctuary, a man he had clashed against in many battles. The stocky Firebender still walked with an arrogant stride that almost masked the limp in his left foot. A battle scar along his jaw carved a jagged furrow through his silver side-whiskers and beard. Unlike Long Feng, who was dressed in simple black robes, the newcomer wore a flaring cuirasse, greaves and gauntlets of red and gold armor, over a dark maroon jerkin and leggings. His right hand conjured a dancing fireball that illuminated his amber eyes, flickering with manic energy.

"General Takeo." Long Feng rose slowly and bowed; his back was somewhat more bent than before, his long braid and mustache turning gray, but his movements were nearly as graceful as ever. "I must say, I was surprised by your offer to meet- though not as much as your acceptance of my conditions. Even for someone as impulsive as you, I would have thought this too much of a risk, to come alone-"

"Skip the condescending formalities, Mudslinger." Takeo cut him off, his fireball expanding slightly as he spoke. The two Dai Li agents tensed, but Long Feng simply shook his head and sat down again. "Just say what we both know: we're in uncomfortable positions, and we're each able to ease the others' load."

"'Uncomfortable positions?" Long Feng chuckled. "That's certainly one way to put it. Sometime ago, I heard a rumor that King Kuei was requesting the Fire Lord to place some of Ozai's former officers on trial- under the jurisdiction of all four Nations- for their 'crimes against humanity' during the Hundred Year War. Most unfortunate, that your name appeared on _that_ list. I imagine this encouraged you to come?"

Takeo snorted contemptuously. "I know better than to trust _you_ , Long Feng… but as one exile to another, who better for me to confide in? You're right about Kuei and Zuko, though. This is what happens when monarchs listen to their subjects, rather than the other way around-"

"I respectfully disagree. When the Earth King actually listened to _me_ , his lowly subject, he had nothing but order and prosperity… within Ba Sing Se, anyway. But I beg your pardon for interrupting; we were talking of your unfortunate... conflict with Lord Zuko."

Takeo snorted again, but his manic eyes burned with malevolence. "That whelp isn't half the man his forefathers were, the way he kowtows to the Avatar. Yet now, he presumes to declare men who bled for _his_ family 'war criminals.' An absurd definition if there ever was one. Zuko's never fought a _real_ pitched battle, the way I have; he hasn't sent men to their deaths for a cause they barely believe in but fight for anyway. He hasn't watched them die and felt the need to avenge their valiant efforts. By what right does he judge _me_ for my actions during the war, when its' outcome gave him everything?!" His fireball flared an angry shade of crimson, but Long Feng did not react. "Small wonder he faced multiple crises within the first two _years_ of his reign!"

Long Feng curled his lip slightly. Takeo's arrogant personality, his absurd blood-and-honor rhetoric and his past atrocities against the Earth Army were hard to ignore, but he had already stated the obvious: they were much more useful to each other _alive_ than dead or imprisoned. "And yet, Zuko has had peaceful rule for almost twenty years since the last uprising. From what _I_ heard, all the perpetrators were arrested-"

"Then you clearly don't have any _reliable_ informants in the Fire Nation Capital." Takeo shook his head. "Not surprising, really; Earth Kingdom citizens would be spotted there from a mile away. The last insurrection was confined solely to the Capital City, but it threw Zuko's government into chaos. A number of vigilantes rose up attempting to defend the city against a group of "malevolent spirits" known as _Kemurikage_ , who had kidnapped the children of several powerful noble families. Zuko's supposed lack of action led to protests, then riots. What he never realized was that some of those vigilantes were working with the _Kemurikage_ the entire time. They were ex-members of the "New Ozai Society", a failed underground movement intended to put Zuko's father back on the throne."

Long Feng was interested, despite his distaste for his guest. It was true, his information on the Fire Nation (and the Fire Lord in particular) was limited. He knew the least about Zuko of the Avatar's allies, having never encountered him personally.

Takeo continued. "After the children were rescued the _Kemurikage_ fled, and most of the New Ozai members were arrested. A few escaped and came to me, seeking sanctuary. I control a large fortified encampment directly north of the Fire Nation, and I've concealed them there ever since. Unfortunately, Zuko's agents have recently discovered my actions. It's for _that_ reason that Zuko's finally trying to convict me. He knows I'm a war hero in my own country, so he couldn't give my head to the Earth Kingdom without causing uproar, until he had proof that I was harboring traitors to his rule." He scoffed. "Even when he acts ruthlessly, it's for the sake of the so-called _compassion_ that the Avatar keeps whispering in his ear."

"Well, if our enemies _hadn't_ failed to act ruthlessly for so long, we might not have been given this opportunity to regain our power and influence." Long Feng twitched his finger, and a chunk of translucent crystal detached from the wall, broke in half and sculpted itself into the rough shape of two cups. "Would you care for some tea?"

Takeo nodded and seated himself across from Long Feng. He gestured, and a tongue of flame extended from the fireball, igniting the logs stacked beneath an ornate jade teapot that hung between them. "I'll admit, you've hidden yourself well over the years, Long Feng; even if I'd been looking for you, I'd never have found you. I've tried to follow your lead and keep my head down myself. Since the Fire Lord's always away, building that "Republic of Nations" in the colonies, I've been left in peace until now, and I'm not without support. Besides my garrison, a number of of Ozai's former favorite officers have come over to my side."

" And, the pressure that's driving them to join you?"

"The Avatar, of course. Him and that damned Waterbending whore of his, Katara. They've both put pressure on Zuko to round up the Southern Raiders for what they did to the Water Tribe. Yohn Ra has already died in prison, and nearly all the others were rounded up within the last few years. Once the Raiders were dealt with, it was only a matter of time before other Nations started making complaints to Zuko, and so the other branches of the Fire Nation's military were purged as well." A smirk crossed Takeo's scarred face. "Zuko wouldn't touch me, ordinarily. He'd have to deal with the controversy of publicly dishonoring an established war hero. Not only that, the encampment where I'm sheltering the fugitives is built on _Air Nomad_ soil. All Fire Nation fortresses on other nations were supposed to be disbanded after the war ended, but since the Air Nomads are extinct, no one's enforcing that decree in their lands. Zuko secretly left some of the forts intact and garrisoned so that he could keep the other nations at an arm's length if another war occurred; not a bad strategy, really. But now, he's afraid to challenge me openly without revealing the forts' existence to the Avatar."

"If you already have such a strong position, why, may I ask, do you need _me?_ " Long Feng kept his face blank, but he was chuckling inside. Takeo's confident bluster would have hid his desperation from most, but for all his knowledge of the art of war, he knew nothing of politics. Long Feng had been playing _that_ game his entire life, and now, as always, he had read his opponent within moments. Takeo didn't really believe he would succeed alone against Zuko's wrath. His resolve was strong, but unless he gained some outside help, all he would achieve was a defiant last stand.

The kettle began to whistle. A young woman stepped out of the shadows, the tea utensils in her hands. Her dark hair fell around her face in sheets, and she wore a green scarf stamped with the Earth Kingdom insignia. Her mouth was turned up in a cheerful smile, yet the rest of her expression was alarmingly blank, her eyes clouded over and staring as she removed the kettle and began to prepare the brew. Takeo leered at her for a moment, then seemed to lose interest and turned back to his host.

"We both know my weakness, Long Feng. I'm a man of action, of directness. I don't work in the shadows like you. Stealth and trickery, these are not my greatest weapons; I draw attention to myself too easily. To challenge the Fire Lord now, before I have enough Firebenders at my disposal, would be suicide. But I can't keep waiting forever, either. Sooner or later, Zuko will bow to pressure from his allies and come for my head. You have far greater numbers than I do, and you have stealth. I will need a team of your best Dai Li agents to gain me what I need to stall Zuko, until I'm ready for the final clash."

"And… what could you possibly gain that would stop the Fire Lord from wiping you out?"

"A bargaining chip, or two." Takeo gave a cruel smile, stroking his beard. "Zuko's indecision is fed in equal parts by his compassion and his temper. Trigger the right nerve, and he'll fall straight into the trap, just as he did the day Ozai burned half his face off."

The young woman rose and approached them with a pot of jasmine tea, which she offered to Takeo first; he thrust his cup at her without looking away from Long Feng, barely acknowledging her with a grunt.

"Thank you, Joo Dee." Long Feng bowed his head as she filled his cup. "Your talents, as always, are impeccable and greatly appreciated."

"I am pleased to be able to render service to the Grand Secretariat." Joo Dee replied in a quiet monotone, her eyes never blinking.

Takeo gave Joo Dee a curious glance, his fireball expanding to illuminate her face. "Oh, she's one of your sleeper agents, is she?"

"Formerly." Long Feng shrugged. "Over the years, I have used her to rally various scattered factions of the Dai Li together, and to recruit new ones. Now, though we remain in hiding, our numbers are nearly as great as they were during Iroh's Siege."

"Impressive." Takeo's eyebrows raised slightly. "Must be hard to hide that many from the Avatar, the Earth Army _and_ the White Lotus, though."

"We _are_ a bit stretched thin at the moment, it's true. Rest assured though, the new generation of Dai Li have been trained to adapt and operate in virtually any environment. They may be distinguished as Earthbenders when working in _other_ nations, but their allegiance to me remains hidden. All those who might be recognized, such as the officers who delivered Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation, remain here, waiting for the right moment to strike." Long Feng allowed his lip to curl into the slightest smirk. "The question is… _is_ this the right moment to strike, General Takeo? You've made it clear what _you_ stand to gain, should I make an alliance with you, but you haven't mentioned how that alliance benefits _me_."

"Resources you don't have, for one thing." Takeo sipped his tea. "The Earth Kingdom's technology is hopelessly behind that of the Fire Nation and has been for decades, even with imports from both the Fire Nation and the United Republic. When the ceasefire came after Sozin's Comet, I came away with quite a bit of war material, which I had the good sense to keep off Zuko's records. Tundra tanks, observation balloons, even a few ironclad warships that I tucked into a fjord not far from my encampment. I am certainly willing to add some of these weapons to your arsenal. When you choose to attack the Earth King's forces, they will give you an edge, and you might form your own designs in the future."

Long Feng conceded that point. With the Earth Kingdom lagging behind in an increasingly industrial age, having access to superior weaponry would certainly help the Dai Li's cause. "Anything else?"

"Nationalism could become a factor." Takeo grinned. "After all, it worked for you and the Earth King every time we attacked Ba Sing Se; the populace always rallied together against the foreign threat, and sent us home with our tails between our legs. If we orchestrated some kind of mock clash between our forces, without revealing the involvement of the Dai Li-"

"It would undermine _both_ the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom governments, perhaps even trigger another war." Long Feng nodded, smiling. "In any case, the chaos would pave the way for my coup... and for whatever you have planned for Zuko. Challenge him to an Agni Kai, perhaps? Burn out his other eye and stick his father Ozai back on the throne?"

Takeo let out a raspy chuckle. "It won't be _me_ that's challenging him to an Agni Kai. As for Ozai, he might have been strong before, but even if the Avatar _hadn't_ removed his bending, he's well past his prime now. There's a third party I'm bringing into our plans, the only one who might challenge Zuko's claim to the throne."

In spite of the heat from the flames and tea, an icy chill passed down the back of Long Feng's neck. He lowered his cup, fighting to keep his voice calm as a frightful possibility crossed his mind. "So... you've found some pretender to claim Zuko's title and serve as your puppet?"

Takeo laughed again "Oh, she may be our puppet, but she's no pretender. I believe you're personally acquainted with Zuko's sister, Princess Azula?"

Instantly, Long Feng felt all his composure slip away; his crystal cup slid from his hand and shattered on the cave floor. He was back in the Throne Room in Ba Sing Se, over twenty years ago. His head was bent; all he could see as she seated herself on the Earth King's throne was her feet, clad in green and black boots. But he had _never_ forgotten her icy, contemptuous gaze, her mocking response when he submitted to her:

" _You've beaten me at my own game."_

" _Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player."_

"Ah, so you _do_ remember her!" Takeo slapped his knee, grinning. He was clearly enjoying Long Feng's discomfort. "As it turns out, Azula was the one leading the _Kemurikage_ uprising against Zuko. Zuko never revealed her involvement, but the New Ozai fugitives told me the whole story. She and her cohorts- mostly escapees from a mental asylum- vanished after the crisis ended, and hadn't been seen in eighteen years. Then, about the time Zuko was prosecuting the Southern Raiders, Azula contacted me, with the idea of putting her on the throne and ending the supplication of the Fire Nation to the Avatar's decisions. After my harboring of the fugitives was exposed, of course I found her proposal attractive. We have met several times, and she seems eager to take action."

Long Feng stood up, his expression grim. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, Takeo. Azula is a _master_ manipulator. For all you know, she is plotting to usurp you once Zuko is beaten-"

"Just as she usurped _you_ in Ba Sing Se, after she captured the Earth King." Takeo cut him off with a raised hand. "I can understand why you wouldn't trust her, Long Feng, and rest assured, I don't either. But I _am_ willing to make use of her. Her bloodline, her Firebending and her... other talents make her the single most deadly weapon we can use. You and I both lead through a combination of respect and fear. Azula inspires more fear than anyone we know… except perhaps her father, in his prime. But what gives us the advantage is her mental state. She burns hot with wild rage, not cold and calculating as she once did; all her focus is on Zuko's-"

"It is _because_ she is supposedly insane that she is beyond our control!" Long Feng snapped. "Besides, she has little reason to trust or work with me, either."

"Oh, please. You didn't break her father's power, or steal her one chance at the Fire Lord's crown. As I was saying, all her rage is directed at Zuko, the Avatar and their allies." Takeo stood up. "Azula needs _us_ in this plan, even more than we need her. Her _Kemurikage_ allies deserted her over the years when she made no further attempts to attack Zuko, and this has only fed her bitterness toward him. Alone, she is merely an exile, but if we back her she may become the key to our restoration to power. You'll see what I mean, when you see her face-to-face." He held out his hand. "I'm afraid I must bring her your answer directly from this meeting. Of course, you are in a better position to refuse than I, since no one is hunting you. Unless I revealed your location…"

The two Dai Li agents immediately raised their arms, and slabs of earth and crystal erupted through the floor, trapping the Firebender's lower body before he could move.

"With _that_ in mind, perhaps my safest option would be to remove you, here and now." Long Feng replied coldly, looking directly into Takeo's eyes.

"Perfectly true." Takeo shrugged, unfazed by the death threat. "But even though your refusal would steal my doom, you would have missed your best chance to strike. You're a patient man, but by the time the next opportunity rolls around, you won't have the energy or the drive to take it. The ravages of age may be softer to benders than to ordinary folk, but we're not immortal. For once in your life, Mudslinger, take a gamble, before your time runs out." He kept his hand extended.

Long Feng paused, thoughts racing through his mind. Despite his irritation at Takeo catching him off-guard, he quickly realized the outcome should remain the same. He had already known that this was a risky plan, one that could jeopardize everything he had re-built over the last two decades. He knew it was not his nature to leap into the dark, as Takeo often did, but he had chosen to accept this risk precisely because his enemies would not expect him to... if they even knew he was still alive.

He flicked his wrist, and the earth restraints crumbled to dust. He cautiously grasped Takeo's hand and shook it, both of them letting go quickly.

But as Takeo bowed and began to limp back up the passage, the one unexpected variable came back to Long Feng's mind: the involvement of Azula. Whatever anyone said about her supposed insanity, the Fire Princess had _always_ been dangerously unpredictable. He'd made the mistake of forgetting that the last time he confronted her.

Now, Long Feng forgot nothing.


	3. Chapter 1: Fire Nation Capital

Mai strode up the steps of her uncle's home, her plum-colored robes barely rustling. Her outfit was nearly identical to the one she had worn during the hunt for the Avatar, right down to the _shuriken_ and dart-launching gauntlets concealed under her broad sleeves. Only the gold embroidery around her high collar and the gold-and-copper flame insignia in her topknot indicated her position as royalty.

Two green-garbed, armored women trailed behind her at a respectful distance, steel-edged _tessen_ fans in their hands. Mai would normally have ditched her escort long ago, but after the last attempt on her life, she'd (reluctantly) promised Zuko to use the Kiyoshi Warriors as guards while outside the palace. She refused to travel on a palanquin, though; in the case of actual danger, it blocked her vision and restricted her movements. Besides, the swaying motion made her nauseous.

She tapped lightly on the screen and waited. After a few moments, heavy footsteps sounded and the door slid back to reveal the former Warden of the Boiling Rock. His grim, lined face split into a smile as he bowed. "Fire Lady Mai-"

"Oh, skip it, Uncle." Mai returned the smile and stepped forward to embrace him. "I've never stood for those titles with family, and you know it. How long has it been since you visited us?"

"Far too long, but I'm always glad to see you again, Niece. How's the Crown Princess?"

Mai's mouth twitched slightly as she stepped inside, her bodyguards taking up positions on either side of the door. "Izumi's… adjusting. She's had to put up with a lot of absence from her father and I in the last few years, as I've told you before, and she's become a little withdrawn. Sometimes I worry that all I see her doing is study; she never really tries to socialize"

"Sounds like someone I used to know." her uncle raised a bushy eyebrow and smirked at her as they sat at a low table. "But she _is_ safe? That lunatic who tried to kill you had us all concerned. And, because it took her so long to finally Firebend..."

Mai returned the smirk briefly. "She's definitely her father's daughter, as far as Firebending. She struggles, but it makes her stronger every day. Even if she weren't able to bend, I've been teaching her to throw _shuriken_ , while Zuko's training her to use his _dao_ swords. Once she's matured, she'll be unstoppable." Her forehead knotted in concern. "Actually, my visit has to do with my position as Regent, Uncle. My father is due to be released from prison next week."

"I thought he wasn't supposed to be freed for another year?"

"What, you have the exact length of his sentence _memorized_?"

"How could I not? He's held in the very fortress I used to command, until _you_ broke my perfect record."

Mai bit back a sarcastic comment; her uncle never stopped teasing her over helping Zuko escape from the Boiling Rock. "I need him escorted directly to the custody of the Imperial Firebenders upon his release. He'll be kept safe in the palace, away from his own estate."

Her uncle looked surprised. "But your mother will wonder-"

"My mother doesn't know he's being released at all, and she won't be informed for some time. As far as the Fire Nation is concerned, Ukano remains at the Boiling Rock until his scheduled release."

A disapproving frown crossed the Warden's broad face. "Mai, that kind of deception-"

"Has been going on in politics _long_ before Zuko came to power, for the sake of protecting the interests of both the Nation and the Royal Family." Mai cut him off. "I don't need to remind you that, as Regent in my husband's absence, I speak with his authority as Fire Lord."

"Is _he_ aware of these actions in his absence?"

Mai gave him a sharp look. "Careful, Uncle. You of all people know I despise the suggestion that I need my _husband's_ approval."

"I meant no disrespect, _Fire Lady_." The Warden replied sarcastically, raising his massive hands in a defensive gesture. "But in the eyes of the older generation, at least, the one whose approval really matters is the one who has a blood right to the throne, not the one who marries to it."

"So you imagine that same standard will apply for my daughter when _her_ turn comes?" Mai heard impatience seeping into her usually calm voice. "Regardless of her bloodline, she'll have to fight for the throne with everything she has, and you know it. The only precedent for a female Fire Lord was Azula, and she was completely insane."

"Not _all_ the older ministers are relics when it comes to women. When Izumi was born, they all took the oath of allegiance to her as heir. I, for one, would still back her, even if I _wasn't_ related to her-"

"Well, not everyone is as open-minded as you, Uncle." Mai kneaded her forehead lightly with long fingers. "I mean, you were the first one to appoint female guards at the Boiling Rock, but Ozai only overruled the conservatives and allowed that because you were so good at your job. Most of the other noble and warrior families looked down on us after that, and still do. I'm not saying it wasn't a good choice, but now a lot of them are resentful of the way Zuko's elevated my brother and I in his government. They think he's promoting ministers based on nepotism, not ability."

Her uncle patted her shoulder. "Well, _I_ know that's not true… and I'm sure you can bring them to heel if they question his or your judgement, Mai. I just want to make sure you're taking the judgement of your people into mind as well, not just the old noble families. They're the ones who give you absolute power, but if you don't have their interests at heart, you'll find that power crumbles beneath your feet." He shrugged and leaned back on the balls of his feet. "But back to the subject of your father, do you want me to take charge of his escort?"

"I would prefer it if you were in charge of the Home Guard patrols between the Boiling Rock and the Capital, to make sure no one tries to abduct or harm him along the way. The last time I visited him, he offered some valuable information, so Zuko and I agreed to release him early. I know you think we're going too easy on him-"

"Damn right." The Warden snorted. "Consorting with a bunch of fake spirits to undermine the Fire Lord's rule…Ukano should spend the rest of his days in solitary on the Boiling Rock, even if he _is_ my brother-in-law. Zuko's too soft-hearted, but he listens to you, and I trust your judgement. I'll go whip the Home Guard into shape." He grinned wickedly.

"Thank you, Uncle." Mai stood and bowed, then embraced him. "By the way, feel free to visit us anytime you like."

"As long as I don't get my wrist twisted by one of those damn Kiyoshi women again, I'd be happy too." He chuckled. Mai's bodyguards rolled their eyes.

* * *

As Mai left, she reflected, with some regret, how much she was still hiding from her uncle, the one member of her family she'd always felt close to. Some secrets were necessary, it was true, but her uncle was an honorable man, despite his harsh record at the Boiling Rock. Had he known certain other secrets- such as Zuko continuing to garrison the Air Nomad forts- he would have been disgusted by the deception, even if he considered it a good strategy. And her uncle's views reflected most of the wartime generation of the Fire Nation. Which reminded Mai of another unpleasant measure she needed to discuss in secret.

Passing back through the gates of the palace complex and down a long, tapestry-hung corridor, she entered the throne room. The vast chamber of polished black oak was lit only by a trench of flames, separating the throne and its' dais from the war map and the officers' table below. If the Fire Lord ever became angry or impatient with the court, he or she could raise the flames higher in a gesture of intimidation. Mai preferred more direct methods. The last time a general had been openly dismissive of her, she'd pinned his limbs to the wall with her _shuriken_ , then left him hanging for the rest of the meeting. After that, she was always treated with deference; Zuko never even learned about the incident.

Mai glanced down at the gathering as she seated herself cross-legged on the throne. Most of the court had become her allies overtime, particularly the ministers elected in the aftermath of the _Kemurikage_ crisis. Unfortunately, the ones she was dealing with today were not involved in civilian or diplomatic affairs, but the military. The Home Guard, responsible for internal security, was relatively progressive and obedient; many of its' officers were volunteers from her and Zuko's generation. The Army and Navy were another story. Even after purges to remove many of the "war criminals" from its' leadership, both were still dominated by conservative, hawkish officers from the old nobility, who resented their loss of status in peacetime and criticized Zuko's reforms. Perhaps today would give them a chance to prove their valor again, by aiding in the downfall of a traitor.

"Generals, Admirals and Commanders." Mai's low voice barely rose over the gentle crackle of the flames, forcing many of the older officers to strain to hear. "What news of Takeo?"

Admiral Jee stood and bowed. A fair-minded, reliable leader who had served as Zuko's lieutenant during his exile, he was one of Mai's few allies in the Navy. "My Lady, as you know, a ship with Takeo's personal standard was sighted by the Yuyan Archers a month ago, apparently returning to his encampment at Omori from parts unknown. More recently, they've witnessed Takeo exiting and re-entering the fortress, accompanied by his guard. We haven't confirmed exactly when he was away, since he usually keeps himself well-concealed, but it's reasonable to assume he's been outside the fort for at least two weeks. I've had both my squadrons patrolling the surrounding waters to make sure he doesn't slip past us again, and Commander Atsuro has his airships on full alert."

Mai nodded. "Any theories on Takeo's absence from his headquarters? Planning a backup escape route, for when his final stand fails?"

Jee smiled wryly. "I think it's more likely he's been searching for allies, or hiring mercenaries. The Yuyan have sighted several unmarked sailing vessels, possibly pirates, off the coasts of the Western Air Nomad lands."

"I doubt we have much to fear from mere _pirates_." Scoffed Nishi, a mustachioed general seated directly across from Jee. "Though, if our fleet were the size it was under Admiral Zhao-"

Mai gave Nishi a pointed look, and he fell silent. Complimenting the Admiral who had tried many times to assassinate her husband was not a wise choice.

"Zhao always relied on overwhelming the enemy through sheer firepower." Jee replied as he sat down. "As you may recall, he paid the price for that strategy at the North Pole. Besides, the objective is to overwhelm Takeo and his garrison with as _little_ loss of life as possible on both sides. Do you really think a naval or aerial bombardment is the best way to achieve that, General?"

Several of the Home Guard officers grinned. Nishi's face colored slightly, but he remained calm. "You mistake my suggestion, Admiral." He replied, turning to Mai as he stood up. "My Lady, I don't believe a bombardment would be the solution, considering how elaborate Takeo's defenses are. Omori Fort itself has several concentric walls and mutually supporting towers, and is built of reinforced steel and stonework that would resist most of our initial attacks. To bombard it would waste ammunition; to storm it directly would cost us many lives, unless we had metalbenders at our disposal-"

"Which we _don't_." Cut in General Tianze, a white-haired veteran of the Hundred Year War. "Because the Fire Lord and Lady have _insisted_ that this assault be conducted solely by Fire Nationals." His beady eyes glanced at Mai resentfully, and she resisted the urge to split his perfectly-arranged topknot with a shuriken.

" _My_ plan would require the combined effort of the Navy, Air Fleet _and_ the Army." Nishi continued smoothly, reaching for a scroll tucked into his belt. "I am proposing a detailed siege by land and sea, both as a show of force and to starve the rebels out. Takeo is well-versed in siege warfare, but he knows Omori cannot sustain itself indefinitely like Ba Sing Se; it has no agricultural settlements within its' walls. If Takeo _has_ made an alliance with local pirates, it's probably for the sake of them raiding our commercial ships and providing him with supplies. A wide-patrolling naval blockade will put a stop to that. Meanwhile, an encirclement of the fortress by the Army will prevent the garrison from attempting a breakout, or receiving reinforcements. The Airship Fleet will stand by to intercept any balloons they might have at their disposal. Finally, we will have the initiative to attack whenever we please, in case a change of strategy is needed. Sooner or later, Takeo's troops will have to surrender or face an ignominious death by starvation. One way or another, the siege _will_ bring results."

Most of the assembly were nodding in approval. Mai cleared her throat. "Your plan is both thorough and reasonable, General Nishi. I will certainly discuss it with Zuko when he returns from the United Republic tomorrow. However, the possibility of _infiltrating_ Takeo's encampment, rather than besieging it, might accomplish our goal with even less risking of life. If Takeo is taken alive, by stealth, we will have cut the head off the snake without having to-"

"Stealth is not the way to go about this!" Tianze barked suddenly, banging his withered fist on the table. "General Takeo seeks a warrior's death by defying the Fire Lord. To take him by surprise and drag him in chains before the Earth King's rabaroo court is the most dishonorable end we could give him! Better to take his head, in battle! It is a stain on our Nation's honor, that we talk of seizing him by 'infiltra- _ARGHHH!_ "

A miniature arrow with a steel shaft suddenly sprouted from Tianze's earlobe, like some grotesque earring. The other senior officers hastily looked away, but Mai could sense their disapproval; Fire Lord or otherwise, no one had ever drawn blood in the throne room before. She forced herself to keep her voice calm and composed. "The next time you disrespect your Regent, General Tianze, you will be discharged from the Fire Lord's service immediately. Neither Zuko nor I give second chances. Understood?"

Tianze looked furious, but he bowed his head in deference. Nishi spoke up, trying to be diplomatic. "I'm sure General Tianze's own sense of chivalry may have distracted him from the... _possibilities_ of infiltration, Fire Lady Mai. None of us can forget how you, Lady Ty Lee and Princess Azula took the impregnable city of Ba Sing Se without a drop of bloodshed, after the Fire Nation had pummeled its' walls for decades with no result."

The tension in the room increased. Nishi's statement had been intended as a compliment, but by bringing up Mai's wartime past with Zuko's sister, he had cast doubts on _her_ motives among all the officers, loyal or otherwise. She already mistrusted Nishi's smooth tongue, and she made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

Jee leaned forward. "My lady, have you and Zuko decided when to begin the attack?"

"Yes. Regardless of how we proceed, the assault will begin shortly before the Winter Solstice... in four week's time." She raised her hand stifle protests before they began. "I'm aware that our Firebenders' abilities will be waning if we attack just before the Solstice, especially in the icy mountain terrain around Omori. However, Takeo's strength will also be reduced; his garrison is composed almost entirely of Firebenders. If we _do_ ultimately choose to defeat him by infiltration, attacking during the peak of winter is the best option. Besides, the longer we give Takeo to prepare, the stronger his defenses will become. General Nishi, the details of your proposal, please?"

Nishi bowed and passed his scroll to an attendant, who hurried around the fire-trench and offered it to Mai; she slipped it into her sleeve, alongside her knives and darts.

"As I said before I was interrupted, I will discuss General Nishi's siege plan with the Fire Lord tomorrow. Those who favor it, please raise your hands."

Most the Naval officers and the Air Fleet commanders lifted their left hands in the air. The Army officers seemed more reluctant- Tianze was too busy tugging the dart out of his earlobe- but about half of them supported Nishi. The Home Guard, led by On Ji- the only female General in the room- all voted in favor.

"Thank you for your voices on the matter, Officers." Mai rose and pressed her right fist to her left palm, fingers pointing upward. "There's still some division between the new and older generations of the Fire Nation's military. Nishi's plan gives both the opportunity to prove their valor and work with one another. Zuko and I will give you our answer in three days' time. You're dismissed."

* * *

Passing through the vast gardens surrounding her family's quarters, Mai heard shouts and the familiar _whoosh_ of flames from the training arena. She smiled slightly, knowing that Izumi would probably need new clothes for tomorrow; she was constantly burning her sleeves off in practice _Agni Kais_ , or Fire Duels. As Mai entered the enclosed arena, she could see scorch marks dotting the walls every few feet. Izumi and her aunt Kiyi, Zuko's maternal half-sister, stood at each end of the battleground. Their hands were raised in the knife position, wisps of smoke trailing from their fingertips.

Behind Izumi stood her grand-uncle Iroh, the legendary "Dragon of the West" and Zuko's first and only choice as his daughter's Firebending instructor. Although the old general had officially retired at the end of the war, and settled down as the owner of a successful tea-shop in Ba Sing Se, he would never refuse his nephew's requests for help, and he adored his grand-niece. Iroh's warm, easy-going nature vanished entirely when teaching Firebending; he was a stern drillmaster, demanding constant repetition and quick to point out any flaws that his pupil might eliminate. The fact that the ten-year-old Izumi was fighting a young adult made no difference; Iroh and Mai both wanted her prepared for whatever real danger she might face one day. Zuko had at first wanted to teach Izumi himself, but he was too overprotective when it came to Firebending; not surprising, considering his experience with Ozai. After Mai made it clear that she wouldn't allow Zuko to mollycoddle their daughter, he relented on the condition that Iroh be Izumi's only bending teacher.

"Again, Kiyi." Iroh's gravely voice rang out. "Izumi, you are favoring your left side to heavily. Adjust your tactics."

Izumi tilted her head sideways and took a deep breath, then jabbed her arm forward and launched an arc of flame at her opponent. Kiyi leaped nimbly over it, returning fire with two quick fist-jabs; Izumi swept them aside and thrust both arms forward, a steady stream of flames projecting from her own fists. Kiyi redirected the blaze with an axe-kick and counterattacked, a fire-dagger detaching from her fingertips and flying directly at Izumi's face. The Princess dropped just in time, but the missile caught the edge of her topknot. Mai felt a twinge of amusement. She recalled her own hair accidentally being set alight around that age, by a certain reckless Prince.

Ignoring her singed hair, Izumi began to circle towards her aunt slowly, a small firepoint at the tip of each index finger. Once again, she tilted her head sideways and inhaled deeply through her nose; her firepoints began to expand as her breathing charged the attack. Kiyi retreated, launching light bursts of flame just ahead her niece's feet at regular intervals. Although Izumi easily leaped and dodged around the counterattacks, she was forced to speed up her pace. Spinning to deflect the last burst with a kick, she extended her left arm and launched the firepoint, which expanded into a sheet of crimson flames. Kiyi ducked low and extended her right arm and shin in a chopping motion, cutting through the attack. As she straightened up, Izumi, who had closed the gap between them, thrust her right hand toward Kiyi's face, projecting a thick, scarlet whip of fire from her forearm. She didn't even notice her sleeve crumbling to ash with the intensity of her attack; all her focus was on her opponent, as it should be.

Kiyi thrust out her own arm to knock the lash aside, but it coiled around her wrist, searing her skin. Biting her lip to contain a cry of pain, the young woman drew her arm back and crossed her fists, blocking Izumi's follow-up attack. Kiyi brought her leg up and kicked outward, the blaze around her heel striking Izumi solidly in the solar plexus. The Princess toppled backward and struck the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her. Before she could rise, Kiyi had one knee planted on her chest and a fire dagger at her throat. Mai's hand moved reflexively for the throwing knife at her left elbow, but she restrained herself.

"Yield." Kiyi growled through teeth clenched in pain. Disappointment clouding her face, Izumi obeyed as Iroh strode toward them. Kiyi released her and helped her up as an attendant rushed forward with ointment and bandages.

"The second attack was well-planned, Izumi." Iroh crouched and put a calloused hand on her shoulder, meeting her eyes. "Particularly your focus on charging your strike, and targeting the limbs. But you launched your finishing blow too soon after the whip attack. Never assume an opponent is finished until they are _down_ , and even then, be wary. If you need to strike a finishing blow, it's wiser to do so from a distance. Firebending at such close quarters gives your opponent a better chance of turning the tables, as Kiyi did."

"But Kiyi was actually burned!" Izumi protested. "You told me never to relent when an opponent shows any sign of weakness-"

"Did Kiyi react as if she was weakened?!" Iroh barked, and Izumi clamped her mouth shut. "She endured the pain so that she would have a better opportunity to defeat you, and she took it. A wounded opponent is _far_ more dangerous than a healthy one, for they will fight more fiercely, out of desperation. Those who would target our family will endure far worse than a burned arm, for the chance to take your life, or those of your aunt or parents." Izumi flinched, and Iroh softened his tone as he straightened up. "Forgive me, Izumi; I spoke bluntly. Your parents and Avatar Aang have done much to safeguard the peace, but threats will always remain."

Izumi glanced down, looking forlorn, then turned to her aunt. "I… I'm sorry, Aunt Kiyi. That whip got out of my control."

Kiyi waved a hand. "No need to apologize, Izumi, I'll be fine. You weren't expecting to launch a charged attack at such close range. If you were fighting a real opponent, that whip technique would certainly catch them off-guard."

"I think that's enough for the day, Iroh." Mai interjected. "Zuko will arrive tomorrow, and I would like us all ready to greet him."

Iroh turned around and beamed when he saw her, instantly transforming back into his usual, happy-go-lucky self. "Of course, Mai! I'll have the servants prepare tea at once-"

"I think we can dispense with the tea until evening, Uncle." Kiyi interrupted, rubbing her newly- bandaged forearm. "Boiling water after a round of Firebending doesn't exactly relax my spirits."

Iroh grinned sheepishly. "To each their own, my dear." He bowed to Mai. "I will take my leave, Mai. I hope you and Izumi will join me later?"

"Of course." Mai embraced him and put her hand on Izumi's shoulder. "Izumi, we need to fit you for a new jacket before your father arrives. You must have destroyed at least three this week."

" _Four_." Izumi corrected. "And the last one would have been fine if I hadn't been practicing with _dao_ swords first!"

"Your father will be pleased." Mai steered her away from the arena and back through the gardens. "He's always favored close-quarters fighting over distance, though I can never understand why."

Izumi gave a growl of frustration. "Kiyi beats me every time! Why does Granduncle keep telling me I'm improving if our duels always finish quicker than ever?!"

Mai chuckled and ran her fingers through Izumi's glossy black hair, the same shade as hers. " Your techniques _are_ becoming stronger, from what I've seen. It's just that Kiyi's the only bender you've ever dueled regularly. She knows your style too well; she anticipates all your moves. What you need to do is either learn to anticipate hers, or abandon your preferred techniques. Iroh's a good teacher, but you have to remember that he taught Kiyi, too; she knows everything he's taught you."

"Then I need to duel new opponents, learn new styles! Granduncle, or Dad-"

Mai snorted. "Your father wouldn't bend so much as a spark at you, even if you held a knife to his throat. Iroh might be willing to duel you, when you're of age..."

Izumi gave her a disgusted expression. "Iroh should duel me now! He keeps lecturing me about learning from mistakes, but he doesn't teach me anything new besides how to charge my attacks. He doesn't get that I _want_ to learn how to fight, he just thinks of Firebending as some formal rite of passage for the Royal Family!"

"Iroh's probably trying to teach you patience, Izumi; it's something you'll need for the rest of your life. Both for your own sake, and for your country-"

" _Come on_ , Mom!" Izumi gestured sharply, and a trail of amber flames followed her fingers. "Stop saying the same things as my tutors, it's nothing I haven't heard a thousand times already! Iroh never teaches me any new techniques, he just keeps drilling me in basics! He and Dad are always holding me back, they don't care about anything except my safety, and they're too blind to see I can take care of myself! Dad shouldn't even have any say in my bending lessons, he doesn't care enough to be here anyway-"

" _Izumi_." Mai's voice snapped like a whip. "Don't ever let me hear you disrespecting your father again."

Izumi stared up at her, her golden eyes- identical to Zuko's- burning with resentment. Resisting the urge to kick herself, Mai sighed. "You and your Dad... are very alike, Izumi. You have the same relentless drive. You both try to let it out with constant training and fighting. Iroh knows that. But like I said, he wants you to learn patience; it will help you perfect each technique before you move on. I know you want to move on to the advanced Firebending forms, but think about how much you've already learned in so many different fields _besides_ Firebending..."

Mai stopped. None of this was going anywhere. She rubbed her temples. "I know having your Dad gone for almost a year is rough. The two of you were so close, when you were younger. I wish I had that closeness with you, Izumi, I really do. But I've never been good at opening up; maybe that's why you don't come to me anymore. Or even talk to me much."

Izumi looked away. "I... I dunno. I mean, I like spending time alone because most of the time I'm training or studying. But, yeah, you don't talk as easy as Iroh or Dad."

Mai smirked slightly. "That doesn't mean I don't have things to say, or to teach. That doesn't mean I can't understand some things about you, things your Dad might not. You're like me, too. If you master something, you get bored unless you can go further or find something fresh to learn. From the look of the dents in your walls, you enjoy throwing my _shuriken_ as much as you do visiting the royal Library."

Her daughter smiled reluctantly and fell into step beside her again. "I guess so. They are more fun than the _dao_ swords, just don't tell Dad." She shrugged. "I do miss him, but its' not like I have no one to spend time with. I know I don't have a lot of friends outside the Academy, but there's Kiyi and Ty Lee-"

"I know, I just wish you could talk to _me_ , too." Mai paused. "That's something your Dad and I had trouble with, before we got married. I wouldn't talk enough; he would talk, just not about what was _really_ bothering him. He was always angry at himself and a lot of other people, for a lot of reasons."

" _Mostly_ to do with Grandfather Ozai, though, right?" Izumi glanced up at her slyly.

"Ozai is not something _I_ will discuss with you, Izumi." Mai squeezed Izumi's shoulder gently. "I couldn't tell you much to begin with; I barely knew him before your Dad and I got married, and I've hardly ever seen him since. If you want to know more about your grandfather, ask Iroh."

"Why not Dad?"

"You can certainly try, but he hates talking about Ozai. You probably would too, if your father almost burned your eye out for talking out of turn."

"But I thought you said he talked about that more with you later on?"

Mai shook her head. "We only discussed your grandfather once, after that lunatic tried to kill me when you were two. Zuko wondered if Ozai had anything to do with it and wanted to punish him further. I told him no, Ozai's already spending the rest of his life in prison. Besides, Ozai didn't know me well enough to have a grudge. If there was anyone who would have come after me, it would have been-"

"Aunt Azula." Izumi finished for her.

"Right." A chill ran down the back of Mai's neck. She marveled at her daughter's ability to make such connections, just based on stories she had heard from her parents and relatives. Perhaps she and Zuko were holding Izumi back, conforming her to a role that was beneath her… hers was not a normal childhood, anymore than either of her parents'. But she had found some common ground with Izumi, and that was a start, at least.

* * *

With a hiss of escaping steam, the spiked prow of the Royal Barge folded downwards, transforming into a steel staircase. The procession of the Imperial Firebenders, resplendent in their crimson and bronze armor, marched out in lock-step formation. Zuko rode behind them on a Komodo rhino, with stablehands leading three others. Emerging into the sunlight, he heard a burst of applause from the crowds.

As his eyes adjusted to the glare, Zuko saw Mai waiting for him on the jetty, her hand on Izumi's shoulder. His half-sister Kiyi, her hair pulled back into a long plait, stood at Izumi's right. Iroh, of course, was absent; his uncle hated such pomp and fanfare, but Zuko knew he would be waiting at the palace with a pot of tea and a Pai Sho board.

Mai's expression was serene, as always, but he glimpsed a subtle twinkle in her grey eyes and grinned. A smile touched the corner of Izumi's mouth for a moment, but her expression was harder to read. Although Mai was the one well known for hiding her emotions, Zuko could guess her thoughts much more easily than Izumi; he reflected, with sadness, that his daughter was already becoming a stranger to him. He resolved not to spend another near-year away from home. The Fire Nation could meet its commitments the world without the monarch always being present; his commitment to his family was his first priority now. Aang, of all people, would understand.

Mai bowed as he approached; Zuko dismounted and returned the gesture. He might be the one with the blood right to the throne, but he never failed to acknowledge Mai as an equal partner, both in public and private life. It had been his unwillingness to share his burdens with her that split them apart originally, and after they reconciled he had promised not to keep her in the dark again.

Zuko embraced Mai tightly, then crouched and wrapped an arm around his daughter's shoulders, kissing her forehead. Izumi didn't pull away, although her expression looked bit exasperated.

"How's Republic City these days, Zuzu?" Kiyi grinned as she gave him a one-armed hug. She was the only one allowed to use his childhood nickname.

Zuko smiled and shrugged. "You'll have to visit sometime. The Avatar's statue is about halfway completed, and the first rail lines are up and running. Aang and Katara send their love, as well as an indefinite invitation to Air Temple Island for all of us." He glanced over her shoulder. "Mother and Ikem didn't come with you?"

"Ursa's gone back to Hira'a to rehearse for the latest _noh_ play, remember?" Mai interjected. "Ikem was having pains in his back and legs, so he stayed with her."

"Nothing serious, I hope?"

Kiyi smiled sadly as she swung herself onto the back of the nearest rhino. "Dad's starting to feel his age. Mom's herbal remedies give him some relief, but it worsens every year."

Zuko nodded, climbing back onto his mount. "Perhaps I can convince them to spend a few days at the Ember Island house; the sea air might do Ikem some good. I've already set aside the week for us to go there; why not invite the whole family?"

Izumi's face lit up. "We're going to Ember Island?"

Zuko laughed. "After a year in the United Republic, I need to get away from the city for a while, and I would imagine you and your Mom do as well."

As their steeds plodded forward, Zuko suddenly leaned sideways and kissed Mai full on the mouth. Izumi made a mock retching noise. "Dad, at least wait until we're back in the palace! Half the Capital is watching!"

Zuko detached himself from Mai's lips, both of them slightly pink in the face. "Izumi, when I haven't seen you or your mother for the better part of a year, I don't care if all four nations see me kissing her."

Mai glanced away quickly, but Zuko noticed her smirking. Kiyi rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're both impossible."

They continued up the heavily fortified highway that led from the drydocks to the Capital. The original city had been enclosed within the crater of a colossal volcanic caldera, but over the last ten years, the suburbs expanded onto the mountain's slopes. At Toph's suggestion, Firbenders had re-channeled the magma away from the main crater to vents in the foothills, giving the Capital a unique defense mechanism and an easy source of metal ore for its' vast industries. The volcanic-enriched soil around the mountain helped provide for the city's agricultural needs, making the Capital nearly as self-sufficient and protected as Ba Sing Se. Society was reformed, as well; Mai and Zuko had chosen various innovative minds for their administration (including her younger brother, Tomoru), and each of the towns and cities had an elected representative to report on its' status or voice grievances to the Fire Lord.

Yet, the Fire Lord's hands could be tied by complications, as Takeo's defiance had proved. In Zuko's reforming of society, he had committed himself to living without secrets from his people; he had not followed that policy entirely with the rest of the world, especially concerning Fort Omori. If he publicly revealed Takeo's presence at Omori and attacked him directly, he would reveal a secret that would both discredit him from the world at large _and_ estrange him from Aang and their friends. By attacking the garrison he might also be perceived as repressing his own citizens, just as he had during the Yu Dao and _Kemurikage_ crises. But to ignore Takeo and his soldiers, to let them continue sheltering other traitors and preying on any ships that passed the Western Air Nomad lands, would be worse.

As always, Zuko had trouble finding the middle ground. But at least he didn't have to figure it out alone anymore. His hand found Mai's, and she gave it a gentle squeeze.

* * *

By the time dinner ended, the exhaustion of the journey had hit Zuko; he was too tired to play Pai Sho with Iroh, but Izumi jumped at the chance. Zuko wandered back to his bedchamber, Mai following him silently.

"What's that?" Zuko gestured at the scroll poking from her sleeve.

"Just a siege plan for Omori." Mai set it on a desk and removed her headpiece, letting her hair fall free. "General Nishi proposed it yesterday; it looks reasonable, but I wanted to go over the fine points with you before we give the military our final answer."

Zuko groaned as he sank onto the _futon_. "Damn, I'd forgotten the date we set for the attack! We'll have to cut the trip to Ember Island a few days short, to oversee the Army's mobilization. Izumi will be upset-"

"It's nothing new for her. She has people to to talk to if she's frustrated; her grandparents, Iroh, Kiyi, Ty Lee."

" _Is_ she frustrated?"

"A bit, I guess. We actually spoke about it after her _Agni Kai_ yesterday. She doesn't resent me for not talking with her before, we just had to find some common ground."

Zuko closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temples. "Which means she's resentful towards _me_ , and she has every reason to be; I was always the one she would talk to before. I shouldn't have been away so long."

Mai sat next to him, her fingers tracing the ridges of scar tissue encircling his left eye. "Izumi knows you have commitments to the world and not just her, Zuko. You'll get that closeness back with her, eventually. But in the meantime it wouldn't hurt if you had Iroh move her on to a different form of Firebending. Or visit the Dragons."

Zuko sat up quickly, looking startled. "Does she want to?"

"I'm not a Firebender, but I saw how much you'd changed after you met Ran and Shaw, for the better. Iroh's trying to teach her patience, but she doesn't want to listen because she was such a late bloomer when it comes to bending."

"Life was so much simpler when she was little-"

"For _you_ , maybe. I don't recall you ever having to breastfeed." Mai snorted. " She just needs a little more room to expand, particularly in her Firebending. Her mind is so… _voracious_. She absorbs so much knowledge, and anything she learns, she has to be perfect at. Reminds me of Azula, honestly."

"Oh, _there's_ a great parallel." Zuko scratched his short beard as he pulled the five-pronged headpiece of the Fire Lord from his topknot. "She _has_ to know that we won't treat her badly for failing-"

"You know what I mean. And it's not like she's raised by Ozai. We're doing the best we can, considering what's expected of her as an adult." She squeezed his hand. "Just talk with her about whether she wants to face the Dragons, it'll help."

"You always have an answer for me." Zuko glanced at her, a weary smile on his face. "How much trouble did the generals give you over Takeo?"

"Tianze bickered until I spiked his ear with a dart."

Zuko barked a harsh laugh. "I'm sorry I missed _that_. We can read over the plan tomorrow morning; I don't have the energy for it right now."

"Well, I hope you still have _some_ energy." Mai leaned forward and kissed him.

An animal groan sounded in Zuko's throat. "I never told you just how much I missed you, Mai." His hand came to rest on her thigh.

"Oh, I think you did, on the road from the harbor." Mai smirked. She swatted his hand away and stood up, untying her sash.

Zuko's smile became mischievous as he began removing his clothes. "Embarrassed the Hell out of Izumi, but you're right. That was a fairly clear message."

"Actions speak louder than words." Mai pushed him back onto the _futon_ and straddled him, her robes falling away. "Why do you think I almost never talk?"

* * *

Once Zuko's breathing had slowed, Mai rose and gently detached herself from his embrace. Pulling a sleeping robe around her body, she stepped out onto the moonlit veranda.

A faint rustle caught her ear. She spun and flicked her wrist, and a barrage of steel darts pinned one of the Kiyoshi Warriors to the rail by her sleeves. A second, shorter warrior cartwheeled out of the way in time, but by then Mai had closed the distance, her tri-pronged _sai_ dagger against the other's throat.

After a brief pause, the Kiyoshi Warrior pushed aside the knife with her _tessen_ fan. "You know, Mai considering four of us are here all hours of the night, you don't actually have to _wear_ those things in your sleeping quarters." She raised a painted eyebrow suggestively. "Though, if Zuko finds knives and arrows _arousing_ , by all means-"

"Shut up, Ty Lee." Mai smirked as she tugged Ty Lee's comrade free. "Your ship will be waiting in the harbor, flying a Northern Water Tribe banner. Remember, this is _only_ to get a closer look at Takeo's defenses for now. Most of the Army generals have sympathy for Takeo, even if they don't outright support him... and I don't quite trust Nishi's reports on the strength of his forces."

Ty Lee frowned, tucking her fan into her belt. "If you wanted to keep all non- Fire Nationals out of this affair, you should've used the Yuyan Archers, not the Kiyoshi Warriors. Most of us _are_ from the Earth Kingdom, after all-"

"The Kiyoshi have a much wider range of skills. Besides, I trust you and Suki to keep them quiet."

"Well, of course I'm flattered Mai, and I'm sure Suki would be too, but if you _really_ wanted this affair taken care of quietly, you should just send _me._ I'm still easily the best fighter among the Kiyoshi, and I know how to charm narrow-minded soldiers. I could be through the fortress gates and back with Takeo slung over my shoulder in a day-"

" _No_." Mai cut her off sharply. "I'm not sending you or the Kiyoshi into combat. We have a bit of time before our other options expire; I just want better intelligence on the fort's defenses before we take more drastic action."

"But Takeo's warriors won't be able to move, let alone bend, as long I chi-block them!" Ty Lee argued. "My team and I would operate in disguise, no one would recognize us without our Kiyoshi gear and facepaint-"

" _I don't care_." Mai heard Zuko stir in his sleep and lowered her voice. "Until you've conducted a full reconnaissance of Takeo's base and reported back, nothing about our attack plan is going to change." Ty Lee opened her mouth to argue further, but Mai silenced her with a finger to her lips. "Don't forget, you're not just accountable to me for _your_ own safety; you're also accountable to Suki for the safety of her warriors. Observe undetected, and report back; nothing more until then. Understand?"

Ty Lee looked slightly chagrined, but she bowed her head. Mai softened her tone. "Ty Lee…before Zuko, no one would talk to me, let alone try to understand me, the way you did. I'm not going to risk your life on a stupid reconnaissance mission. Observe undetected and report back. Nothing more."

Ty Lee nodded and embraced her. Then she and her comrade leaped over the parapet and sped off through the gardens, vanishing into the night.


	4. Chapter 2: Republic City

A sharp popping sound and the smell of black powder jolted Aang awake, as it did every morning. A few years back, all it took was the changing temperature of the air against his hairless scalp for him to sense dawn approaching. Then he would rise with the sun, and begin his morning meditation. But it was impossible to keep old routines with three children, and now he always relied on the ingenious timing devices Teo sent him to wake him up.

He glanced at Katara's side of the bed; it was empty. She had probably gotten up a while ago to feed their youngest son, Tenzin.

Aang suddenly became aware of a gentle pressure against his back. Rolling over, he found his five-year-old daughter Kya curled next to him, her thumb in her mouth and a tearful expression on her face. "Hey, kiddo. Another nightmare?" Kya nodded. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I was bending on the beach." Kya began, "And I tried to pull water from the ocean to make ice, but it turned into a wave, and- and the wave picked me up and swept me away-" Her bottom lip quivered. "And I was screaming for you and Mom, but it pulled me under, and I couldn't-"

She cut herself off with a sob. Aang scooped her up, patting her back. "Just like when your brother fell off the boat and got pulled under, huh?" He felt her nod into his shoulder. "But… do you remember happened when Bumi went under?"

"He…he came back up again, and, and Mom Waterbended him out."

"Exactly. That's what Moms and Dads do when their kids have trouble: they help get them out of it." He set her down and gave her a mock-serious look. "If you got pulled underwater, do you think your mom and I would leave you there, to get eaten by the Unagi?"

Kya hiccuped and wiped her face, a tiny smile crossed her face."Nooo…"

"Absolutely not! I told that Unagi all those years ago, you don't get to eat me, and by the Spirit World, you don't get to eat my kids, either!" She giggled. "You know, Kya, you won't ever have to be afraid of the water. Because your Mom is the strongest Waterbender in the world, and someday, you're gonna be just as strong as she is."

Kya hugged him. "Love you, Daddy."

"I love you too." Aang grinned. "You wanna take a quick glider ride before breakfast?"

Kya nodded. Despite not being an Airbender like her father, she had taken to flying more than any of the Air Acolytes, and she and Bumi were always taking the gliders up together. When she was a bit older, she'd be able to operate one herself.

Pulling on his saffron-yellow monk's robe, Aang set Kya on his shoulders and rotated his hands to conjure a spherical "air scooter", then hopped onto it and glided down the corridor to the training hall, where the gliders were kept. Normally, Aang would have taken his own glider, the one that compacted into a combat staff, but the traditional design didn't allow him to carry a passenger. Besides, the modified ones that Teo and the Mechanist designed were just as much fun.

Once they had lugged the glider to the top of the temple's spire, Aang strapped Kya into the main harness, not bothering to attach himself; if he came loose (unlikely), he could simply bend the air currents to catch up with Kya again. Hoisting the glider and his daughter onto his shoulders with a grunt, he took a running start and leaped over the parapet of the tower. Kya gave a yelp of glee as they swept over the low-lying clouds that framed the edges of Yue Bay. Aang banked upward, and Air Temple Island shrank rapidly as they began to climb. It was a pity, Aang mused to himself, that Kya would never be able to air-surf; she would have loved it. Someday, Teo or Sokka would probably come up with something for non-Airbenders…

A faint chattering sound caught his ears over the song of the wind. Glancing down to his right, Aang caught sight of Momo riding the air currents just behind them. When Kya noticed him, she bent a small globule of water from the moist air and launched it at Momo's face. The flying lemur took the missile full in the face, dropped like a stone for several feet, regained his balance and swooped back toward the island, screeching indignantly as Kya's laughter followed him. Aang wasn't concerned about his pet holding a grudge; Momo had suffered far worse when Kya and Bumi were toddlers, and he still came to them for affection on a daily basis. At least Kya was feeling better already...

Spiraling upwards, the Avatar felt a familiar rush of childlike delight, one he had once thought gone forever. Katara had never known how right she would be, when she had told him all those years ago in the burned-out Southern Air Temple.

 _Sokka and I, we're your family now._

You have no idea, love… He glanced down as he leveled out of the climb and let Kya hold the guiding lines. The expanse of Republic City lay spread before him as if on a map, stretching far beyond the shore of Yue Bay and the estuary of the Ku'on River. Built around the ex-Fire Nation colonies of Yu Dao and Cranefish, on former Earth Kingdom lands, it was intended to unify the Four Nations through the integration of all their cultures.

How far that integration had succeeded,remained in question. Most of the pre-established population was the mixture of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation from the colonial era, although increasing numbers of Water Tribe immigrants had arrived within the last few years. The international connection certainly helped the other nations find common ground as far as trade. The problem was not so much finding balance between the other Nations; their leaders were eager to work together after a century of warfare, and building the Republic gave them the opportunity for that.

No, the difficulty was figuring out exactly what the "Republic" was meant to be, and how to enforce its' laws as they were developed. The Republic's constitution forbade discrimination based on gender and ethnicity, and many of its' industries- such as the Earthen Fire refinery, founded by Toph's father Lao and her friend Satoru- focused on finding opportunities for both benders and non-benders. Unfortunately, the industries could not keep pace with the growing population. In addition, some of the more recent immigrants had left their home countries under… difficult circumstances. On arriving in the United Republic they quickly began forming organized crime syndicates known as "Triads". Some were so powerful they virtually controlled the outer towns, and many had their eyes on business interests in Republic City itself.

The capitol's police force, founded and led by Toph, was always on alert, but within the last year Toph had been forced to take some time off. Her Metalbending officers were doing the best they could, but they were hesitant without their extraordinarily skilled leader, and the police forces in the secondary towns were less effective. The introduction of rail lines, thanks to Zuko's recent meetings with several Fire Nation businesses in the Republic, made coordination easier for law enforcement, but it was still slow going even without the ramshackle government. Lacking a leading executive, Republic City's government was formed by a Council of international representatives, elected for six-year terms. As the last living Air Nomad, Aang was the only permanent council member, but he was dismayed by the result. Not only did the Council not truly represent the people of the United Republic, it almost never agreed enough to make decisions or pass motions to deal with its' challenges, especially concerning the growing population and crime rate.

There were times when Aang wanted to simply gather his family onto Appa and fly back to the Southern Air Temple; painful though the memories might be, at least he would find some peace and quiet. A second later, he would remember what he and Katara had made together, and he would kick himself for thinking of leaving.

* * *

As Aang nosed the glider back out over the bay, he noticed a large formation of dark clouds sweeping in off the coast; a winter storm was on its' way. Feeling it would be safer to cut the flight short, he took the lines back from Kya and began a gentle, descent back towards the island. He could see a woman with long, dark hair standing on the north-side beach, her head cocked back to watch them. By the way the waves kept contorting and falling back from the sand around her, it had to be Katara.

When he was about fifty feet above her, Aang pulled the guiding lines taut to his chest and put the glider into a steep dive. Kya yelled gleefully, her stubby fingers digging into his neck as they plunged through the air. At the last second, Aang pulled out of the dive and projected a cushion of compressed air from his heels, bringing them to a halt amid a huge cloud of sand.

As Aang disentangled himself from the glider and removed the straps from Kya's torso, a jet of cold seawater struck his scalp from behind, causing him to yelp. Kya laughed and clapped her hands with glee as her father turned to face his assailant: his wife.

"You're slipping, Avatar." Katara remarked matter-of-factly, a hint of mischief in her glacier-blue eyes. "Ten years ago, neither Sokka nor I would have been able to sneak attack you like that. Well, Sokka still can't, but that's not saying much." A massive coil of water surged out of the waves around her feet, and split into a ring of eight writhing tentacles. "After everything Toph, Zuko and I taught you."

"Sorry, _Sifu_." Aang replied sheepishly. Behind his back, his fingers twitched, Waterbending droplets from the morning mist and freezing them into three egg-sized ice pellets. "It's just, there are these wonderful things called _children_ , which can be quite distracting-"

Katara twitched a muscle in her forearm, and two of the water tentacles lashed forward. They would have coiled around Aang's ankles and hurled him into the surf if he hadn't already sprung backward, another 'air scooter' forming under his feet and carrying him eight feet into the air. He brought his hand forward to launch the ice pellets, but two of them dissolved back into water as they left his fingertips, splashing to the ground. The third found its' way to Katara, but she deflected it with a flick of her hand.

Aang frowned, confused. Katara was the most skilled Waterbender he had ever known, but she'd never managed to bend water right out of his hand, not when he was still manipulating it-

Then his eyes fell on Kya, who was trying very hard to look inconspicuous… and failing, due to the huge grin on her little face. "Very funny, Kya." He gave her a mock-wounded expression. "Why does this always turn into two-on-one, Water Tribe versus Air Nomad?"

"Because _you_ always cheat and use more than one element." Katara laughed, turning to their daughter. "Kya, go wake up your older brother; he's going to miss breakfast if he sleeps any longer."

Kya bent a sizable globule of water from the surf, formed a current under her feet and rode it back toward the temple; her giggling was soon lost among the bamboo groves. Katara lowered her hands, and her ring of water tentacles drained itself smoothly back into the ocean. "Did she have another nightmare?"

Aang nodded, drifting back to the ground and folding his arms around her. "But she calmed down pretty quick, she just needed something to take her mind off Bumi's sailing accident."

Katara shuddered, leaning into his tall, skinny frame. "That was bad enough for me _,_ thank you very much. _I_ was traumatized by the time I was five; I don't want our kids to suffer the same way."

Aang squeezed her shoulders gently. "Katara, your mom died because she was a nonbending civilian standing up to a heartless Firebending soldier. It was the only way she could keep you hidden from Yohn Ra. Considering what you and I can do, I highly doubt our kids will be in the same position-"

"That's not my point, Aang." Katara cocked her head sideways and looked up at him. Aang was always amused by this gesture; when he'd first met Katara when they were twelve and fourteen respectively, she had been a head taller than him. "We can't keep them sequestered on Air Temple Island forever. Sooner or later, they're gonna have to face up to the more unpleasant parts of the world… and with the crime rate in Republic City, that's not gonna be an easy transition. For that matter, we can't keep _ourselves_ isolated from the poor, either."

Aang nodded. "There are a lot of times when I feel like I'm not able to do enough in the Council, that I could just go out on the streets and find problems to solve, like when we were kids..." He glanced down at her and chuckled. "But you, isolated from the poor? When has _that_ happened? The only reason you aren't back at your healing clinic right now is because you've got a sick one-year-old you feel guilty about leaving. It's okay if you can't help _everyone_ at once, love. You're not the only healer in Republic City."

Katara smiled sheepishly. "I know, I sound like Sokka when I'm worried about something-"

"No, you're absolutely right." Aang kissed her forehead. "I've been meaning to talk to Toph about some of these problems, anyway; I'm gonna go visit her after I drop off Bumi at school. Was Tenzin alright? I noticed you'd gone when Kya came to me..."

"He was just hungry. After I fed him and got him back to sleep, I needed to practice my bending. It's been a while, outside of healing the kids' bumps and bruises."

"You know, if you need more time to get away for bending, we can always ask the Air Acolytes for help watching Tenzin occasionally; they've never said no to anything I've asked of them before-"

Katara laughed, pulling herself free of Aang's embrace. "No need, love. The Acolytes have enough to do around here anyway, and Tenzin's an easy baby, aside from the sore throats." She stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips. "Now grab some food and get your oldest to school, and make sure he isn't smuggling anything else in or out."

* * *

Aang and Bumi crossed the bay on the steam ferry that ran between the harbor, Air Temple Island and the island that bore the unfinished statue of Aang. Normally they would have flown on Appa, but the sky-bison was getting old, and his joints played up in foul weather. Momo perched on Bumi's shoulder, his bulging green eyes staring hungrily in the direction of the fishermen's wharf.

"You know, you don't have to take me all the way to school, Dad." Bumi remarked as the boat docked in the bustling harbor and they disembarked. "I wasn't going to prank the teacher with that iguana-parrot, I just wanted to find it another home-"

"Sure you were, kiddo." Aang smirked, ruffling his nine-year-old son's untidy chestnut-brown hair. "Personally, I think you're learning too many of your Uncle Sokka's tricks."

Bumi shrugged, a lopsided grin on his face. "All he said was, 'they provide a good diversion in a tight spot-'

"I don't think Sokka would have recommended sticking a reptilian bird up the leggings of an Earthbender who's almost a foot taller than you. From what your teacher said, he's going to be limping from that bite for a week."

"Dad, he had it coming! He was using his bending to pick on this girl half his size-"

"I appreciate that you were trying to help someone in trouble, but using violence isn't going to help the situation. Next time try to reason with him, or get help from your teacher; that's what they're there for."

Bumi rolled his eyes. "Right, 'cause that's the only thing a _nonbender_ like me should do if there's trouble: run for help."

"I didn't say anything about your lack of bending-"

"You didn't have to." Bumi's tone sharpened. " _That's_ why you won't let me walk to school on my own, because without the _Avatar_ backing me up, you think everyone's going to jump me when I walk through the door."

Aang sighed. His oldest child's inability to bend any of the elements had always been a sore spot, and in the last few years Bumi's behavior had become increasingly wild and reckless, pushing himself to the breaking point in any way he could. "No one's denying your strength or your skills, Bumi. But you need to accept that you have limits, and that includes how you deal with bullies. Whether you can stand up to them or not, don't try to hurt them back, that's only going to make them resent you more."

Bumi glanced away, his tone still resentful. "That's not how _you_ dealt with Fire Lord Ozai during Sozin's Comet. That's not what Aunt Toph would say if we ran into a couple of Triads-"

"I only fought Ozai after he refused to listen to reason, and even then, I didn't kill or harm him, no matter how much he goaded me. As for the Triads, I wouldn't want you to face them even if you _were_ a bender. At least, not until you're a bit older, and..." Aang paused as they passed between two high-rise buildings. "Tell you what: you promise to rein in the fighting and pranking at school, and I promise that you can go to Kiyoshi Island next year and learn some _chi_ blocking."

Bumi's eyes lit up. "Really? Mom might not be happy about that-"

"I know she hates the idea of _chi_ blocking, but we both want you safe, more than anything else. If you can't avoid a fight, _chi_ blocking will definitely give you a better chance against benders if no one's around to help. Plus, it only disables the body; it doesn't cause serious injuries, like weapons or bending."

Bumi glanced up at his father slyly. "Let me walk the rest of the way on my own, and you got a deal."

"Not a chance."

"Aww, come on, Dad! I've got Momo with me, if I get into trouble he knows how to find you."

Aang gave his son an amused look. "I thought you didn't like having the Avatar as backup?"

Bumi shrugged and grinned. "Doesn't mean it isn't helpful sometimes."

"Spirits, kiddo. If I'd ever grown my hair, you'd have made it fall out years ago." Aang ruffled his son's hair again. "Alright, deal. Your mom and Kya will pick you up this evening after your practice."

Bumi gave him a one-armed hug. "Thanks, Dad. See ya!" He sped off down the street, Momo barely managing to cling to his shoulder.

Turning right, Aang found himself at a crossroads. He realized that the shortest route to reach Toph's house, would be to pass through the Dragon Flats borough on the south edge of the city. Far removed from the gleaming plazas and pagoda-topped spires of downtown, the streets here were narrow, poorly lit and dirty, the buildings clumped unevenly together. Most of the residents were recent arrivals, including many nonbenders... a combination which made them easy targets for the Triads.

Aang was a pacifist by nature, but Katara's words from earlier came back to him; he and his family _were_ too isolated from the poor and oppressed, at Air Temple Island. At least Bumi was standing up for the unfortunate at school. Raising the hood of his cloak, and taking a firm grip on his staff, he strode into the borough.

It was quiet, except for the gentle tap of snowflakes hitting the ground. The coming of winter and the new year normally brought out more business to the poor quarters of town, as local markets formed from the competition. But many of the various shops squeezed into this quarter of Dragon Flats had closed signs, and none of the seasonal stalls from the out-of-town merchants had been set up yet. Why did it seem so deserted?

Then Aang's eyes fell on a collapsed building next to an apothecary. Collapses were not uncommon in Dragon Flats, where there were few Earthbenders to make easy repairs. But the way this one had fallen... it looked as though it had been _pulled_ down. He crouched to inspect the floor, and his grey eyes noticed crystal formations poking through the floor, and a ragged scorch mark on the wall. Only one faction of the Triads used benders for more than one element: the newly-formed Triple Threat. His chest tightened with anger as he remembered Katara's stories of victims coming to her clinic, their bodies burned or broken, but unwilling to name their attackers out of fear.

There was a sudden shattering sound, followed by a weakened cry for help. Conjuring his air scooter, Aang glided rapidly down the street, his cloak billowing in the wind.

Two blocks further, he found the source of the scream. A thin, emaciated man in a green hat and thick spectacles was lying in the midst of a pile of shattered celadon pottery, just in front of a ceramics shop. A few yards beyond, two men in bulky coats framed the alley's exit. The first was tall, with blue eyes and nut-brown skin like Katara, indicating some Water Tribe ancestry; the other was shorter and stocky, with a pale complexion and narrow brown eyes. At the appearance of Aang, they both took up bending stances.

"Clear off, monk." The Water-Tribe Triad barked. "This doesn't concern you."

Aang glared back at him, raising his staff. "You're hassling a defenseless old man. I think it concerns me."

In answer, the Triad bent a stream of water from a puddle and launched it at Aang, transforming it into a jagged ice-missile mid-flight. The staff flicked out almost lazily, knocking the missile aside.

The other Triad conjured crimson flames in each of his palms and inhaled deeply, charging his attack. Aang knew the longer the confrontation took, the more likely innocent people's homes would be destroyed. He swept his staff diagonally and a pillar of compressed air shot towards the Firebender, knocking him off his feet. Spinning to dodge another attack from the Waterbender, Aang tapped the ground lightly with his right foot. Earthen shackles sprang out of the ground, trapping the Firebender's limbs. The Waterbender, looking bewildered and frightened. summoned more water from a pouch on his belt, created a current under his own feet, and tried to withdraw. However, Aang jabbed his left arm outward, blocking the exit with a wall of flames. As he advanced on the cornered gangsters, his hood fell back, exposing his shaved and tattooed head.

The Waterbender's eyes widened. "Hell, you're the Avatar!"

"I thought you would have realized that when you saw me bending more than one element." Aang replied sternly. "So you work for the Triple Threat Triad, huh? It's been a while since they've come up in the newspapers. You can tell your bosses they've got no business terrorizing Dragon Flats just because Police Chief Beifong's away from the precinct."

The Firebender glared up at him. "You're gonna regret this... You mess with Yakone, and he'll hunt you down, and-"

"Shut up, Shinzo!" The Waterbender hissed. He turned toward Aang, palms upraised in a gesture of surrender. "We didn't realize who you were, Avatar. We'll be out of your way, if you'd be kind enough to let us go..."

"First, you can compensate that man whose wares you just ruined. I'm sure you have yuans to spare-"

"No!" The victim was backing away, looking terrified. "I don't want anything to do with this! The Triads have already run almost everyone out of the borough! Yakone, or the Avatar... Whichever one I choose, I'm doomed! I'm outta here!" He ducked between two of the shops and vanished.

Aang turned back to the Triad soldiers. He tapped his foot on the ground again, and the restraints holding the Firebender broke open, while the wall of flames faded into embers. "Tell this... Yakone, I'm willing to hear him out on behalf of the Council. As long as he has business that's _legitimate_ , and not at the expense of the good people of the Republic. If not, he can either clear out, or face me in a duel himself."

An ugly grin stretched across the Firebender's face. "Be careful what you wish for, Avatar. I'll pass your message on to Yakone... You just better hope he doesn't take you up on that duel."

Rubbing his wrists, he followed his companion out of the alley. Aang frowned. At least he had made an attempt to reason with the Triads directly, though some of them listened more out of fear than reason. He didn't like the idea of a duel, unless there was no other choice. Whoever this Yakone was, his underlings seemed very sure of his abilities.

Aside from occasional matches against his friends, Aang hadn't been in a real fight since his last battle against Azula during the _Kemurikage_ crisis, almost twenty years ago. He could simply enter the Avatar State and tap into the power of his past lives, becoming virtually invincible, but he didn't think that was necessary; even without the Avatar State, he had already established control of all four elements, which should be enough to deal with any bender in a duel.

Even so, he hoped it didn't come to that.

* * *

As Aang raised his hand to knock on the steel-plated door, it swung open of its' own accord. A gruff voice muttered, "As if I didn't hear you coming two blocks away, Twinkle Toes. Get in here, and don't touch anything; I just got her to sleep."

As Aang stepped into the house, he noticed that the granite floor was vibrating slightly. Toph was seated in a wicker chair in the main room, her clothes disheveled. Most of her thick, jet-black hair was pulled into a bun above her green leather headband; the rest hung in thick bangs over the upper part of her face. The vibrations were coming from her Earthbending by gently tapping her bare foot on the floor, causing the cradle next to her to rock itself.

"Er… glad to see you too, Toph. How's Lin?"

" _Extremely_ cranky, which is why I am _trying_ to keep her down for a few hours." She growled. "And the precinct keeps sending me letters asking when I'm coming back to work. That idiot Ho Tun claims they can't keep things running without me, that the petty theft rate is getting out of control. It's like they aren't even aware I gave birth five months ago."

"Maybe your old students from the Metalbending Academy just miss you?"

Toph snorted. "Don't try to appeal to my sense of humor, Aang; right now, I don't have one."

"I wasn't!" Aang changed the subject. "Lin's okay, though? Katara wanted me to check on both of you."

Toph snorted again. "Katara should know better than to mother me, she has three kids for that. She's already roped me into some double-date thing with Lin and your youngest tomorrow, against my better judgement. I appreciate the thought, though. Lin and I are doing fine, it just takes some… adaptation, to say the least." She smiled wearily. "Fighting, for me, is as straightforward as breathing. Nurturing, I'm less familiar with. But at least I found some new everyday uses for my Earthbending."

"Kids _are_ a lot to handle." Aang agreed, reaching out to tousle the soft fuzz on Lin's scalp as he sat down. "I remember having to _completely_ rearrange my sleeping patterns after Bumi was born, then again after Kya. I thought Katara was going to strangle me a couple of times. Have you contacted Kanto at all?"

Toph's sightless green eyes narrowed. " _No_. And it's going to stay that way."

"Oh, come on, Toph. Doesn't he at least deserve to know he has a daughter?"

Toph shook her head decisively. "If he knows about Lin, he'll want to come back, to help. That's part of the reason it ended between us in the first place. He was sweet, but way too protective, way too much like my Dad. I don't need that right now."

Aang raised his hands defensively. "I wasn't insinuating that you can't handle being a mom, Toph. But I also know how much you love your work, and if Kanto was here that would make it easier for you to get back on the police force sooner."

"I know, but it's not worth it in the long run. I just… have to raise her _my_ way." She sighed, then smiled. "I'll figure this out, no worries. At least I always know exactly where she is; I can feel her pulse through the wall, even when she's asleep. Wish I could say the same for the Triads."

Aang nodded. "The Agni Kais have been quieter lately, though, so maybe Zuko's time here had some unexpected benefits for us all."

Toph frowned. "You don't think he seemed a little… distant, the last few months he was in Republic City?"

"Probably just missing Mai and Izumi." Aang shrugged.

"No, it was like he had something he needed to get back to in the Fire Nation. Something about his heartbeat..."

Aang frowned, then smiled sheepishly, glad Toph couldn't see his expression. He had forgotten that her seismic senses allowed her to detect dishonesty, through changes in pulse and breathing. It was one of the many reasons she had been the Council's first choice for Police Chief.

"For all we know, it's probably something to do with his private life. I'm not going to pry."

"Of course you aren't." Toph scratched her ear, a devious smile on her face. "But if you don't... Katara probably will, after I tell her about it. For that matter, she'll probably get Sokka involved, and he'll persuade Iroh to invite you to the Fire Nation so he can solve the whole mystery."

Aang groaned. Katara _would_ tell Sokka, and his brother-in-law would go full-detective mode if he though something was wrong with Zuko. "Oh, come _on!_ Zuko just got home, can't we leave him in peace for a bit?"

"He may be your best friend, Aang, but he's also the most powerful monarch in the world. If he's acting secretive, it just _might_ be important to find out why."

"I thought _you_ were the one who trusted him first, out of all of us?"

"Fond though I might be of Zuko, it doesn't mean I don't get suspicious now and then. Nearly every time I've had a hunch that the rest of you scoffed at, who turned out to be right in the end? _Including_ trusting Zuko in the first place?"

Aang shook his head, defeated. "...I'm not answering that. But… fine, I'll tell Katara about your suspicions if you have the Police Department back me in the next Council Meeting."

Toph grinned. "Avoiding and compromising like always, Twinkle Toes. I haven't gotten under your thin skin like this since I was pregnant; It's still pretty fun, though not as much as knocking Triad heads."

"But you _will_ support my proposal to expand Katara's healing clinic?"

"When have I _not_ supported you when it comes to the Council? For that matter, when has Ho Tun not supported you since I went on maternity leave?"

"Since I started advocating compromise with some of the lesser Triads. If we can get them to conform to our government's laws while not confiscating their businesses, they may actually help develop the Republic's economy-"

Toph shook her head, a grim expression on her face. "These Triads aren't interested in negotiating. They just want more power, and they'll stop at nothing to get it. It's only natural; most of them are immigrants already wanted for crimes in their home countries, and they're competing for limited resources in the youngest world capitol. Once the infrastructure is more developed, things should settle down a bit, so again we have Zuko to thank for moving things in the right direction. But in the meantime the Triads act like they run the damn country apart from Republic City, and even that's under threat. The only way to make them learn we won't be undermined is to drop-kick 'em into Yue Bay."

Aang rolled his eyes. " _There's_ an approach we should teach our kids."

Toph's tone sharpened. "I already warned you, Aang, I don't appreciate humor on how to raise my child. You can prattle away with your peaceful initiatives in the Council; I don't care. What I _do_ care about are thugs preying on the innocent unchecked, in _my_ city. If they came for me or Lin in the night, I wouldn't use words to stop them, and you wouldn't either." She shook her head. "I'm not trying to fight with you. But you spend all the rest of your time either teaching the Air Acolytes, or stuck in Council meetings with people who haven't spent more than two years in the United Republic. You haven't seen what my officers have seen, especially the outer slums; it's practically a war zone."

"Actually, I have, just an hour ago. Two Triple Threats were mugging an old man in Dragon Flats, and I stopped them. They were pretty cocky, talking about some leader of theirs, Yakone, who might want to challenge me to a duel-"

"Yeah, we've only just started a profile on him. He's relatively new, originally from the Northern Water Tribe, but rising in the ranks already. We don't know exactly what he looks like, though; he keeps his face pretty well-hidden when he's out in public, and everyone we talk to is too scared to give us a face description." Toph cracked her knuckles. "As for those low-level hoodlums you met today, they're just mopping up. Ho Tun says Dragon Flats has been clearing out for months now, probably under a combination of bribery and threats, and no one knows what the Triads are planning to do with all that abandoned property. No one's willing to talk to the police unless we can guarantee their relocation to a safe neighborhood or other town. And we can't guarantee that unless we have the backing of the Council. Hence, I'm opposing your attempts to reach out to the Triads, until you can get the Council to get their act together and crack down on these gangsters."

"You already spoke to Katara about this, didn't you?"

"Hey, you know she's as eager to get back to that clinic as I am to the precinct, but she doesn't want to see it overwhelmed with more bodies than she can fix. That won't be a problem if we can get the Triads to back down." Lin began to stir in her sleep, and Toph gently laid a hand on her back to calm her. "You and Katara have three kids that you adore, and I can't fault you for taking some time off for them. But Team Avatar built this city, almost single-handed. The people expect us to keep it running, especially in a bad situation like this one."

Aang nodded. "I know. It's just… when I tried to help that old shopkeeper the Triads were threatening, he backed away from me in fear. They don't see me as a human being, they just see me as the all-powerful Avatar. If I used my bending to make the Triads back down, that would just make people see the Avatar as another potential oppressor. I have to show them that reason and words mean something."

"Then find some ways to win the people to your side, and not by showing mercy to the Triads. You figured out a way to stop Ozai with force, but you still managed to do it without taking his life. If anyone knows how to find a balance, Aang, it's you."

Aang shrugged, running his hand over his close-cropped chinstrap beard. "Well, that's going to take some meditation on my part; maybe one of the past Avatars has some advice." He tousled Lin's hair again, then stood up. "I'll stop by the precinct on my way to the Council, see if I can get Ho Tun to leave you alone for a bit."

"Thanks." Toph punched him lightly in the shoulder, her usual gesture of affection.

Aang paused at the door. "Do you think we're really... making progress with this Republic, or just creating more problems for our kids to solve?"

Leaving Lin snoozing in her cradle, Toph crossed to the wall where her battle-scarred police armor hung. "Who knows? This is a totally new country, a new type of government. Maybe it'll stabilize and prosper in our lifetime, maybe it'll be up to the next Avatar to sort it all out." She ran her pale fingers across the faceplate of her helmet, her expression grim. "Either way… it's going to get worse, before it gets better."


	5. Chapter 3: Fort Omori

Omori was grim at the best of times. Its' steel-plated, spiked towers loomed over the keep like claws. Standing in the foothills between two jagged mountains, the fortress offered little shelter from the gales that howled down the slopes. Lighting torches or lanterns on the walls was forbidden, to minimize light and make enemy reconnaissance less effective; even Firebending for training purposes inside the keep was strictly regulated.

To Omori's' north was a steep-banked fjord fed by mountain streams, giving the garrison an easy sea access. However, with the dead of winter approaching most of the fjord was frozen over, and with the Fire Navy patrolling near the shore, the supply route was closed. As the frigid temperatures dropped further, the conditions of the fort continued to deteriorate.

Not that this really bothered Takeo's Firebenders; they were, after all, hardened veterans of many challenging campaigns. Most had chosen to join the rogue General of their own free will, or were escaping what they saw as a worse fate. What irked many of them was the newcomers from the Earth Kingdom, always appearing and vanishing through the fort's passages like green-and-black phantoms, never speaking to anyone except Takeo and his war council.

Lieutenant Genpei could literally feel the Fire Nationals' hostility each time he passed. He had been in Ba Sing Se during the occupation; anger always made a Firebender burn twice as hot. Whenever he and Xi were summoned to meet with Takeo and his lead conspirators, it was like stepping into a furnace. Luckily, most of the time the Dai Li remained in a bunker beneath Omori, which Takeo had offered them as headquarters. It might have been intended as a snub, as they were literally placed on the lowest level, but Genpei didn't mind; it gave the Dai Li easier access to their bending element.

There were other reasons not to hate the people of the Fire Nation, Genpei mused to himself... like the one waiting in his chamber. As he made his way through the bunker, he made a chopping gesture with his gauntleted hand, and the stone slab that served as his door slid back into the wall. Stepping into the room, he found Rila lying across his bed. She was wearing nothing except his rough quilt, draped loosely around her waist. Her bronze and black armor lay neatly arranged in front of a small fire she had lit in his hearth.

"Want me to warm you up?" She brought her hand out from under the quilt, gently shaking a small, leather wine-flask.

Genpei grinned roguishly. "You, as always, are a sight for sore eyes." He tapped his foot, and the slab slid smoothly back into place behind him. A rotation of his wrist, and his earthen gauntlets and shoes collapsed into gravel on the floor.

"Show-off." Rila snorted. "The stone door seems like overkill."

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't disturbed by any of our... er, co-workers. And you can still get out easily enough-"

"Firstly, all your 'co-workers' are Earthbenders, so that slab isn't going to stop them. And second, if someone tried to come in here and molest me, I wouldn't just hold my own, I'd collapse the entire bunker." She brushed back her dark hair, revealing an unusual tattoo on her forehead: a slit-pupiled, teardrop-shaped eye, with three scarlet crescents curving upwards behind it.

"I don't doubt it." Genpei removed his hat and undid the clasps on his robe. "Have you had to 'hold your own' much in the past, before we made an alliance with Takeo?"

"Some lewd remarks." Rila shrugged. "There have never been many women in the Fire Nation's military outside the Home Guard, so the traditionalists resent me being here almost as much as you and your comrades. But no one ever tries anything worse. Most of the garrison know who my father was, and they always think that if they try to violate me, he'll come back from the dead and hunt them down."

Genpei chuckled. "If I _had_ known who your father was when you started flirting with me, I probably would have had the same reaction." He removed the last of his garments and slipped under the quilt alongside her, running his hands down her narrow back. His teeth raked the side of her throat.

Rila closed her eyes, savoring the sensation. The tattoo on her forehead glowed orange, momentarily. "Well, the fact that you're a... "Mudslinger" is only gonna piss my squad members off even further. Apparently they've seen me hanging around the tunnel works near your bunker. I got an... earful from my captain this morning."

"Ah. What excuse did you give for not being on sentry duty this time?"

"Sentry duty? Please." Rila's hand grabbed Genpei's throat and pushed his head back as she rolled on top of him, legs around his waist. "You think Takeo's using me as a mere lookout, considering... what I can do?"

Genpei hissed through his teeth as they began to move. "True... that would be… _such_ a waste."

* * *

"Can I ask you something?"

Rila arched an eyebrow, amused. "For a guy who likes to get right to it, you do talk a lot. Go ahead."

"Why… are you really working for Takeo? From what you've told me, you weren't even in the Army; you joined his garrison _after_ Zuko declared him a traitor."

She took a swig of the wine. "You want the long or the short version of 'I think he's fighting for a just cause?'"

"I could care less about _his_ cause. What's your excuse for getting involved in this? I'm guessing you have some past connection to Takeo, and it's not entirely positive."

Rila shrugged, raking her long nails lightly along Genpei's chest. "...I know Takeo's a misogynistic brute, but he's known my family for a long time, and he's got a certain code of honor. Which works in my favor, since he's giving me the chance to get the one thing I've been wanting for years."

"Which is?"

"My family's honor demands that I avenge my father's death."

"I... thought your father beat you?" Genpei rolled over, kissing the inside of her thigh.

"Yes, my father was a brute, and a killer. So what? During the Hundred Year War, you could've said the same thing about almost half of the Fire Nation's officers, and that's not even the ones named as "war criminals." I doubt the Earth Kingdom's soldiers or the Dai Li fought any cleaner."

Genpei grinned, craning his head around to look up at her. "Fair enough. I'm just surprised by loyalty to a family member who was cruel to you as a child. If I'd been there, I'd have sent a rock through his head."

"Well, aren't you the gallant one." Rila kissed his forehead, smiling. The smile faded as she closed her eyes for a moment. "I... didn't enjoy getting hit, no. There were certainly times when part of me hoped he'd never come back from a mission. But there were other moments, too. Like when he taught me Combustionbending, and how to survive in the wilderness. He kept us fed, kept us safe and hidden. He knew Ozai would want to use me, just as Fire Lord Azulon used him. Father was... a hard man, but he still tried to give me a choice. I finally made that choice, after Zuko killed him."

Genpei frowned. "How do you know it was Zuko?"

"Zuko sent Father on a mission to kill the Avatar without anyone's knowledge, even the rest of the Royal Family. Then, he renounced Ozai and joined the Avatar around the time that my father disappeared, in this same archipelago." Her voice burned with quiet rage. "Azula's airship fleet confirmed his death, after she attacked the Western Air Temple. The biggest piece they could find was his steel prosthetic arm, half-melted. Takeo was the only one in the Army who knew about my mother and I; he sent us the news. Either Zuko killed my father personally, or he led him into the Avatar's trap. Takeo's right about one thing: Zuko needs to be exposed for the lying hypocrite that he is. He loves to pretend he's such a man of the people, but he has no problem using and eliminating people for his own selfish ends, just like every other Fire Lord before him."

Rila leaned sideways and held her hand over the fireplace, causing both the coals and her tattoo to glow faintly. "Takeo told me when I joined his garrison, 'I'm leaving the Fire Lord to you.' He's been helping me improve my bending by aligning my _chi_. He served with my father under Fire Lord Azulon; he understands how the Combustion technique works, even if he can't perform it himself."

"And you think Takeo will just... give you Zuko?"

"I just told you, he as good as promised me that I could take Zuko's head." Rila sat up, staring at him. "Why... has he said something otherwise to you?"

Genpei hesitated. He liked Rila, liked her very much. Sex aside, her straightforward nature and ferocity were exhilarating, after all the kowtowing and double-crossing he had known for fifteen-odd years in Ba Sing Se. Rila appeared to like him back; although part of it was probably because he was privy to most of Long Feng and Takeo's plans, he didn't mind. He wanted to admit that Takeo was planning to replace Zuko with his insane sister, that his promise of personal revenge to Rila was probably as worthless as his bizarre "code of honor".

But the Dai Li were the last hope for the Earth Kingdom, and their best chance to return to power was this alliance with Takeo, unpleasant though it might be. As far as Genpei knew, he, Xi and Long Feng were the only ones Takeo had told about Azula's involvement. If he revealed it to Rila, he was undermining that alliance. He decided to compromise.

"I... just wonder if Takeo may have his own plans, for you and for Zuko." He managed, lamely.

Rila scoffed, crossing her arms over her breasts. " _That's_ nothing new; of course he's using me for his own ends, any military commander would. The difference between how he's using me and how Zuko used my father, is that our intended ends are the _same_ : Takeo and I both need Zuko dead, to keep our honor intact and ourselves out of a cage."

Genpei snorted. In his opinion, Takeo's open challenge to a monarch as powerful as Zuko clearly marked him as a loose cannon. Besides, if someone as unpredictable as Azula was crowned, the danger of Rila ending up in "a cage" seemed only greater.

Still, he again chose not to mention the Fire Princess. "So, what happens after Zuko's killed and deposed? Even if Takeo manages to take control of the Fire Nation Capitol, he'd never be able to hold it for long. And without leadership, the Fire Nation might collapse into chaos..."

"Oh, I'm sure Takeo has backup plans for whatever happens to the Capitol, although he'll have to deal with Fire Lady Mai and the rest of Zuko's family first; they'll certainly put up a fight. He's reckless, but he's not a fool." Rila shrugged. "That isn't one of my concerns, though. I've been driven by the need to avenge my father for years. Once I've accomplished that, my ties to the Fire Nation _and_ to Takeo are finished; I'll probably disappear, start a new life somewhere else. One thing you can say about the United Republic of Nations, it certainly gives anyone a chance to start over."

Genpei shook his head, though he was flattered that she trusted him enough to confide. "So _your_ backup plan is that you're using Takeo, just as he's using you... seems risky."

Rila grinned. "You don't get far in the game, unless you take some risks." A sharp vibration rippled through the chamber floor, jarring both of them and causing the fire to sputter. "What the Hell was _that?_ Something collapse in the tunnels?"

"No, that's just Xi summoning me. Takeo probably has some message for us."

"Guess I'd better get back to my post." Rila reached for her leggings. "Let me know if he has anything interesting?"

Genpei smiled slyly. "There's only so much I can tell you, what with our leaders ready to turn on each other at a moment's notice. But if you were to meet me here tomorrow, with a bit more of that wine, my tongue might loosen a bit..."

Rila laughed as she pulled her jerkin over her head. "If your tongue were any looser, we'd both be executed for espionage." She tossed him his robe. "I'll find an excuse, don't worry. Help me with my cuirasse, will you?"

Genpei obediently began lacing together the leather-and-bronze plates that protected her torso and shoulders. "You seem very unconcerned with how things may play out for the Fire Nation. You really have no feelings on whether your country might collapse into ruin?"

"You forget, my father kept us living in the wilderness most of my life, just so that Ozai could never find us. I never really had a chance to feel anything for the Fire Nation, and I don't aim to stick around when the real power struggles start." She glanced over her shoulder at him as she picked up her helmet. "You should probably think about the same thing when Long Feng pulls his little coup in the Earth Kingdom."

"My concern is my country's future, not the whims of bitter old men. The Earth Kingdom will never catch up with the rest of the world, not with the feudal system it has now. Too many rural tribes and vassal kings are busy fighting each other, and Ba Sing Se is powerless to stop them. The Dai Li centralized the government's' power and brought prosperity in Ba Sing Se during and before the war. If they're returned to power now under the right leadership, they'll extend that prosperity to the rest of the country."

"Through the use of _force_." Rila snorted. "You'll pardon me if I don't break into applause at your idealism being fueled by a ruthless secret police-"

"My point is, I don't care what Takeo's ends are, as long as his means give our faction an advantage. King Kuei means well, but he has no clue what he's doing; Long Feng was running the Earth Kingdom since Kuei was a child. Yeah, the Dai Li _are_ ruthless, but how many Earth Kingdom lives did they take, in order to keep the peace? None, until the Avatar interfered."

Rila rolled her eyes. "You're just being technical... and stubborn."

"You _do_ know what Earthbenders are like, right?" Genpei replied sarcastically as he pulled on his robe. "Restoring Long Feng and the Dai Li will restore order at a reasonable price, and until the Earth Kingdom has order, it's just going to keep decaying. I'm not like you, I've lived in cities my whole life. I've defended their walls against attacking forces, I've broken up fights between civilians and seen them go home safe. I...I just can't watch my country keep falling apart like this."

Rila's cynical expression softened. "You've got a good heart, Genpei." She kissed his cheek. "Just... don't let it get you killed. Be wary of your leader."

Genpei returned the kiss with one to her forehead. "Same to you."

He swept his heel in a semicircle, and the stone door sprang back into the wall again. Rila extinguished the fire with a gesture and padded out, quiet as a cat.

* * *

Captain Xi was waiting for Genpei near the entrance to the bunker, flanked by two more Dai Li officers. Although they were both from Ba Sing Se, Xi and Genpei could not have looked more different. Genpei was a giant of a man with copper eyes, honey-colored skin and an oval face obscured by a thick, dark brown beard. Xi, twelve years his senior at forty-five, was shorter and paler, his stern features lean and chiseled. Apart from cropped black eyebrows, his entire head was clean-shaven beneath his wide-brimmed hat.

Xi had taken Genpei under his wing after Ba Sing Se fell. Genpei had flourished immediately under Xi's tutelage. A scavenger and orphan for most of his youth, his conscription into the Dai Li gave him a sense of purpose he'd never had before. Later, as Genpei learned about the Dai Li's darker secrets, it became clear that Xi had taught him mainly for a the purpose of having a loyal cohort, should he choose to desert the city. Nonetheless, Xi's teachings had made Genpei a shrewd investigator, and a highly skilled Earthbender. Although loyal to his mentor, Genpei could not resist teasing him for his uptight nature. It seemed ironic that a man with such a stoic attitude should be second-in-command to one of the most opportunistic organizations in the Earth Kingdom.

Xi glanced at Genpei, his narrow grey eyes finding a small scorch-mark on his sleeve. "What do you think we're here for, the New Year holiday? If you're reckless enough to bed an Ashmaker, you should at least be more discreet."

"Why?" Genpei smirked. "Have we been keeping you awake? Are the other agents getting jealous?"

"It's not our men I'm concerned about, it's Takeo's. Apparently, his son has a bit of a thing for that woman-"

"If any of the rebel garrison have an issue, they can bring it to me face-to-face."

Xi rolled his eyes. "Why the Grand Secretariat gave you an officer's commission, I'll never understand. You've got no discipline."

"No, but I'm damn good at improvising." Genpei grinned. "Which is why Takeo likes me more than you."

Xi didn't reply, though Genpei could sense his exasperation. As far as he knew of Xi's habits (and he knew them QUITE well) his mentor had never shown sexual interest in either men or women, and was always puzzled when any of his officers indulged. Genpei himself was surprised by how quickly his attraction to Rila had grown, but between the grim environment and the oncoming battle, he had no motivation to avoid her, especially now that he knew she was planning to disappear after it all played out. At least he probably wouldn't have to fight her when their leaders finally turned on each other...

Gliding down the main corridor of the bunker, the Dai Li officers paused at a marked-off space near the surface access. The scaffolding and canvass draped around the edges concealed a deep shaft, about forty feet across: an abyss that simply went down, down and down. Several thick ropes and chains, suspended from a steel crane, descended into the darkness; one of the crane's pulleys was rotating, drawing its' chain upwards. The main shaft extended so far down that it reached molten rock far below the sea-floor; a combination of Earth and Firebending was needed to keep both the pressure and the magma at bay. Apart from Xi and Genpei's rare meetings with Takeo, expanding the tunnels branching off of the main shaft was the _only_ form of cooperation between the Dai Li and the Fire Nation rebels.

As Xi and Genpei peered over the lip of the shaft, there was a faint rumbling sound and a mild vibration; both men hastily anchored their earthen boots to the ground, wary of toppling over the edge. The speed of the rotating pulley increased. A small light grew out of the depths below, eventually revealing a Fire National and a Dai Li officer perched on a small platform at the end of the chain.

"Everything all right below?" Xi inquired, as the platform drew level and the two men got off.

The Dai Li officer saluted. "We had a minor cave-in last night that injured a Firebender and two Earthbenders, but we managed to dig them out and get them to the infirmary. For now, we've suspended our work on the secondary tunnels and focused on the eastern passage, far under the seabed."

"Any sense of how far you are, or how much longer it will take to complete?" Xi inquired.

"We're nearing the edge of the main landmass." The Firebender replied. "I've been leaving flame markers every half-mile, and we've definitely passed under the Western Air Temple."

Xi nodded. "See to it that the work continues, at the same pace. Keep rotating the diggers until we make a breakthrough. I'll inform Takeo."

The four Dai Li ascended through several more subterranean levels before finally arriving on the surface. The night winds whipped harshly against their flowing robes as they headed for a painted wooden citadel at the center of Omori. Although ornately decorated, the keep looked flimsy and unprotected; only the four towers that encircled it were fully armored. Omori's barracks and fortified positions were actually within the stone and steel foundations, honeycombed with passages leading to different exits along the multiple walls. This enabled the defenders to reoccupy positions that had already been taken, striking the enemy from behind unexpectedly; the only way to truly secure the fortress would be to occupy the entire labyrinth or collapse the tunnel entrances. One thing you had to give the Fire Nation, Genpei mused to himself, they had some extraordinary military engineers.

* * *

The banquet chamber of the citadel was dimly lit. Takeo was seated at the head a low table carved of cypress wood. Small tumblers of clear wine were laid out for the handful of officers around him. At the General's left were five figures dressed in robes that Genpei assumed were the style of Fire Nation nobility; although tattered and worn, they were made of high-quality materials. Curiously, all of the robed figures wore red leather headbands marked with the character for "Phoenix". As the Dai Li assembled opposite Takeo, a young colonel seated at his right lowered the skull-like visor of his helmet and glared directly at Genpei. His amber eyes were identical to Takeo's.

Genpei refused to make eye contact, but he was smirking inside. This was his competition?

"General Takeo." Xi bowed stiffly. "What can we do for you?

Takeo shook open a small scroll, his gnarled fingers tapping the characters. "Long Feng has a message for you. Claims it was in code, though it didn't take me long to break it." He tossed the paper to Xi. "You're to hit a Fire Nation town on the easternmost point of the archipelago, called Hira'a."

Xi's eyes flickered. "This is... earlier than scheduled. Long Feng told us not to provoke the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation against each other until after the battle-"

"Circumstances have changed." Takeo replied impatiently. "Fire Lady Mai is too suspicious; she's not far from finding out who my intelligence source is, and she's convinced Zuko to readjust the time of attack. Besides, if we don't force Zuko's hand soon, the Avatar might get involved. A diversion involving the Earth Kingdom will take the focus off Omori long enough for us to finish the tunnels."

"I thought you _wanted_ the Avatar to find out about Zuko's deception, Father?" The colonel at his right chimed in. "Wouldn't it make more sense to-"

Takeo cuffed his son roughly on the back of the head, and the young man fell silent instantly. The General glanced at the Dai Li officers. "Please excuse Shingen's interruption. He still has much to learn, especially about voicing objections in front of guests." He glared at his son, who kept his eyes down. "The Avatar _will_ come into play eventually, but _not_ before we're ready for him. To confront the Avatar head-on in battle would be suicide; he was only a child when he crushed Ozai, and now he's an adult with full control over the Avatar State. For now, we need him, the Fire Nation Royals _and_ Earth King Kuei distracted. You will go disguised as soldiers of the City-state of Omashu, and make sure you leave behind evidence that supports this. The world will believe the Earth King has no control over his most powerful vassals-"

"And now that King Bumi has died, the new King of Omashu will be seen as plotting revenge against the Fire Nation for the wartime occupation." Xi nodded. "I trust our transports are prepared?"

"We were forced to move them to an outlying island before the blockade started, along with my ironclads. Otherwise, Zuko's airships would have sent them to the bottom of the fjord. The tunnel accessing this particular island was the first one we completed, so you'll be able to reach your ships without interference."

Genpei kept his expression blank beneath the brim of his hat, but he felt a small cloud of disappointment gathering in the pit of his stomach. He wouldn't be able to meet Rila for another rendezvous. The fact that this mission would improve the Dai Li's prospects of returning to power was small consolation.

"My friends of the New Ozai Society bring us another message." Takeo continued, nodding to the robed figures with the phoenix headbands. "They have established contact with the... rightful Fire Lord, Lady Azula."

Xi's eyes narrowed slightly. "The Grand Secretariat and I... assumed Azula would be present for negotiations _before_ the battle."

An elderly woman seated close to Takeo's left glanced away. "The Fire Lord is... concerned about her safety, at the moment."

"How convenient." Genpei snorted.

The woman kept her eyes on Takeo, but her lip curled. "She does... question the necessity of such turncoats as the Dai Li..."

" _Turncoats_? _"_ The Dai Li on Genpei's right bristled angrily. "We helped her take Ba Sing Se, we helped her foil the Avatar's invasion of the Fire Nation, and we _never_ turned on her, even after she sank into madness! Who are _you_ to speak for her- one of her minions from the insane asylum?"

The woman stood up quickly, a flame glinting at her fingertips, but Takeo raised his hand. "Put that away and sit down, Tomoe." He smirked at the Dai Li. "Azula's merely being... cautious. If it's any consolation for your ego, she's threatened at least a dozen times to hunt down and kill _me_ if I betray her." He gestured to Tomoe and her cohorts. "The New Ozai Society were the only ones Azula would communicate with after her little _Kemurikage_ plot failed. They've always remained loyal to her father's regime, and they've been her representatives here at Omori ever since."

"So you've never actually met with her face-to-face? How can you even prove that she's behind them if you've never had verification-"

"Of course I've had verification." Takeo lifted his tumbler of wine and drained it. "What, you really think I'm stupid? I _insisted_ on meeting with Azula in person, within a week of the first contact. That's where just _one_ of the death threats came in; the rest were all by letter, and she refused to meet again after that. She was barely lucid enough to make it through our conversation, and she's even more paranoid than she was during Sozin's Comet." He glared at Tomoe, who was staring daggers at him. "And don't _you_ start acting offended on her behalf, Tomoe. I was sheltering your friends from Zuko long before you started sneaking off to meet with Azula- behind my back, I might add. You've got no love for her, she just represents an opportunity for your betterment, just as she does to everyone here. Get on with the message."

Tomoe hissed between her teeth and began to read from a small scroll. "'...This is my final communication, before the battle for Omori. I am currently cut off from the fort by sea and am therefore unable to help prevent the siege. Instead, I shall re-join General Takeo and his forces after the evacuation, to play a part in the shadow campaign against the Earth King and my treacherous brother's regimes. Once leverage has been gained against Zuko, all efforts must be made to take him into custody so that I may finally prove my divine right to rule the Fire Nation. Fire Lord Azula."

Well, that's nothing we didn't know before, Genpei thought. Takeo's mouth curved into an amused smirk as he re-filled his tumbler.

Xi's eyes were focused on Takeo, not Tomoe. "I notice you haven't mentioned the payment you owe the Dai Li for the services we've given you, and continue to provide. The weapons you promised us have not yet been delivered-"

"And you expect me to do so now, in the middle of a siege?" Takeo glanced at him contemptuously. "The ironclads were evacuated before Zuko tightened the blockade, I don't have access to them now. Everything else is ready to be transported during the evacuation, and will be handed over afterwards."

Xi narrowed his eyes. "You are aware that one word from me to the Grand Secretariat, and your entire evacuation will be cut off. No one would escape Omori when Zuko chooses to strike."

"Neither would _you_." Shingen growled, springing to his feet and pointing a fire-dagger at Xi's face. "Assuming there's anything left of you, anyways."

Xi raised his left arm, cracking his stone-encased knuckles contemptuously. Eager to prevent the meeting from descending into a brawl, Genpei hastily stepped forward. "I'm sure Captain Xi just needs a better guarantee of future payment, given that our alliance is so... tenuous."

Both Takeo and Shingen's eyes fell on him. Genpei tensed, though he knew entering a fight was pointless; it was four Dai Li against over a dozen skilled Firebenders. Then Takeo let out a harsh cackle of laughter. "Finally, someone who gets to the point, instead of hiding behind loyalty or pride." He stood up and drained his cup again. "Here's your answer: I don't pay in advance. You complete your missions in the Fire Nation- something that both Long Feng _and_ I benefit from- and I'll begin the installments, starting with the war balloons and tanks. The ships will take longer, but rest assured, you'll have everything I promised Long Feng by the time our partnership concludes." He grinned wickedly as he sat back down. "And who knows? Perhaps, if the Avatar is drawn into our conflict, our alliance might continue..."

"Don't count on it." Xi replied. "Will there be anything else, General Takeo?"

Takeo reached into his belt and withdrew two more scrolls. "I had two messenger hawks from the Fire Nation Capital yesterday; the first was addressed to my officers in general. They each received a copy as well." He unrolled the first, which bore the Fire Nation Royal Seal, and began to read in a mocking tone. "'To all those who have committed treason and joined the war criminal Takeo on Omori: I am not my father, who would have snuffed out your lives the moment you deserted. I have no desire to shed the blood of my subjects. Therefore, I offer you a chance to demonstrate your loyalty. Clemency will be extended to any man and woman who either deserts Omori at once, or helps subdue Takeo and brings him to me. If Takeo surrenders now he will be placed in the Boiling Rock, which is more merciful than anything the Earth King's courts would give him. If he does not surrender, I make no promises, whether he is captured or killed."

"This offer of mercy will only be extended once. To anyone who remains in Omori by the time we attack: you will suffer the same fate as your treacherous leader. Fire Lord Zuko.'"

Tomoe frowned. "He's not... usually that harsh, is he?"

Takeo nodded. "Zuko might have written this, but he's using some of Mai's words. Unlike her husband, she doesn't second-guess herself when ruthlessness is needed, and she's stealthier." He set the scroll on the table and glanced around at his followers. "Zuko calls my honor into question; I will answer. I made no attempt to hide this message from you, even though I could have easily shot down the messenger hawks. Anyone interested in claiming their pardon? I'm right here, if anyone wants out."

All the officers, as well as Tomoe and her New Ozai followers, conjured firepoints in their hands. For a moment, Genpei wondered whether they might actually turn on Takeo, but instead they all held the firepoints against the edges of the scroll, setting it alight.

Takeo smirked at Genpei and Xi. "This is what loyalty means, Mudslingers. I've led these soldiers in a hundred campaigns; we've all shed our own blood and the blood of our enemies for each other, and they all answered my call when the Fire Lord branded me a criminal, no questions asked. If Zuko had understood that kind of loyalty, he'd have me backing him instead of putting a noose around his neck. If _you'd_ understood that kind of loyalty, either to Long Feng or to Azula, you'd never have been put on the run after the war."

Genpei kept his face blank, though he was itching to wipe the smirk off the Firebender's face with a well-placed rock. There were more kinds of loyalty than blindly following this arrogant old clout, he thought.

Xi's expression showed no reaction to the taunt either. "What is the second message from the Capital, General Takeo?"

"From my informant on the Fire Lord's War Council. We now have the precise date that Zuko will launch his stealth attack: four days before the Winter Solstice." Takeo leaned forward. "That's the other reason we need to distract the Royal Family, through this attack on Hira'a. As I said before, Mai is suspicious. If she and Zuko decide to change the attack date and _not_ announce it to the War Council, we're finished."

"We could weaken their intelligence by taking out the Yuyan Archer scouts." Shingen cut in, but his father shook his head.

"The Yuyan have already been evacuated, when Zuko blockaded the mouth of the fjord. Luckily, they never learned about the Dai Li, or our little excavation project. How far along are they?"

"We spoke with a pair who claimed they were beyond the Western Air Temple." Xi interjected.

Takeo scratched the scar along his jaw. "We'll need to maximize the amount of manpower for the main tunnel, to complete it in time. Send hawks to all our mountain scout patrols: they are to return to Omori at once." A lieutenant saluted and headed for the hawk-roost tower. "That'll be all, Mudslingers. Your ships will set sail tomorrow morning, carrying the gear you'll need to masquerade as soldiers of Omashu. You may go."

Genpei and his comrades doffed their hats, bowed silently, and swept out of the keep. Grey sleet, stained by the exhaust of the Fire Navy's ships, whipped against them as they hurried back into the underground fortress complex.

"Do you really think Takeo's troops will be able to complete the tunnel by the time we're back from Hira'a?" Genpei muttered to Xi, as soon as they were out of the rebels' earshot. "He must be insane to think he can get that far without any Earthbending support."

"Don't underestimate Fire Nation technology. Remember the drill they used on the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se?" Xi replied, keeping his head down as they descended back into their bunker. "I'm more concerned with Hira'a itself. We barely know anything about it besides its' location, and Long Feng never mentioned it to me as a potential target. Takeo may be luring us into a trap. For all we know, there's a major Fire Nation garrison there, capable of taking our task force out-"

"But if Takeo really wanted us killed, wouldn't he just do it here rather than give us a chance to defect?" Genpei shook his head. "It would be too easy for us to betray him _and_ the Dai Li, in exchange for the Fire Lord's mercy. I'm puzzled about why Takeo wants to drag _Omashu_ into the conflict. Forget that talk about Kuei not being able to control his vassals; everyone already knows he can't even control Ba Sing Se."

"Omashu's the second most powerful city in the Earth Kingdom after Ba Sing Se, nearly as well-protected, and with its' own form of government." Xi shrugged. "If the Fire Nation resumes war with the Earth Kingdom under Takeo's leadership, that's one major obstacle out of the way. But the pendulum swings both ways. Weakening the Earth King's strongest vassal _would_ increase Ba Sing Se's influence within the Earth Kingdom- and, by extension, ours, once we have Fire Nation technology at our disposal."

"But that's only after we return to Ba Sing Se, and somehow convince the King to reinstall us." Genpei sighed. "And it's beginning to look like that's never going to happen-"

"Oh, don't pretend you've given up, either on your cause or on Long Feng." Xi cut him off. "You're just upset that you won't have that Ashmaker girl to warm your bed."

Genpei stumbled slightly as they passed his chamber door. "Er... actually, it's called Combustionbending, apparently."

The two officers in front of them stifled chuckles. No one noticed Genpei's hand twitch as he straightened back up, causing pebbles on the passage floor to sweep together into the shape of several characters:

 _Couldn't make it. Hope I see you again before the battle. Save me a little wine, and be wary of your leader._

* * *

About fifty miles northeast of Omori, a single craggy spire of rock rose out of the mists like a serpent's head emerging from the sea. Centuries before, Avatar Yangchen of the Western Air Temple had often climbed the peak to meditate into the Spirit World. The spot had once been marked by a small shrine in her honor, but it had been destroyed during the genocide of Sozin's Comet.

A scarred raven-eagle plunged out of the clouds, its' vast wings spreading to pull out of the dive. The cloaked woman standing on the slope extended an arm, and the raptor lighted heavily on her leather-wrapped wrist. It preened its' patchy neck as she pulled a small scroll from its' harness, then accepted the two strips of raw meat she offered it. She thrust her arm upward, and the great bird rose back into the air with a croaking screech.

The woman unrolled the scroll, her eyes processing the characters on the paper almost instantly. Then she ignited it with a flick of her fingers, watching the tiny wafers of ash scatter through the air, indistinguishable from the snow.

Everything was finally ready. Well, not quite everything. She still had to fill her stomach… and the yeti-ibex she had been tracking for the last half-hour would do nicely. Crouching, she examined the tracks. There was a slight indentation in the right hoof, indicating some old injury: a battle over territory, perhaps, or a misstep on a treacherous slope. It didn't matter which; it was a weakness. And weaknesses were to be exploited, just as hers had once been. She had no weaknesses now, of course. She had eliminated them.

" _Have_ you?"

She rolled her eyes and shot a glare at the robed woman standing to her right. "...You could at least do me the courtesy of waiting until after I've eaten."

"You hesitated. Do you see _me_ as the weakness you will never admit to?"

"You're not a weakness. Merely an occasional, irritating... distraction."

"Is there really a difference?"

"One can become accustomed to distractions. Learn to see straight _through_ them, even." Her lip curled. "You can't grow out of weakness, and you can't hide it, at least not for long. The only way to deal with weakness is to remove it, before it removes you."

"Spoken with conviction." The robed woman smiled. "You're a good actress, like me. But your uncertainty betrays you. I know you too well."

"You never knew me at _all_ , and you never tried to learn how to, either. That's why you always thought I was-"

She stopped, for the woman had already departed. Just as well. Her ears pricked at the harsh bellow of the yeti-ibex on the slopes below; it was trying to warn off potential rivals in its' territory. Instead, it had helped her zero in. What a dreadful mistake.

She raised the hood of her ragged fur cloak, and drew a long _kukri_ knife from her belt. They had all said she was a monster. How wrong they were. She was a hunter. And her quarry never escaped her for long.

* * *

This one took a while to write, mainly because I was busy creating the characters. Sorry it took a while, please enjoy and reviews are appreciated!


	6. Chapter 4: Fort Omori

Sleeping on frozen, jagged rocks was _not_ Ty Lee's first choice. Then again, she'd gotten used to comfort during the many years she'd spent on-and-off in the Fire Lord's palace. At thirty-five, she was still in better shape than any of her fellow Kiyoshi Warriors, so that was something. Her joints were getting a bit stiff from the cold, though, and staking out outside Omori's hideous walls for a week with no sign of activity- other than a few messenger hawks- made her impatient, which was why she was meditating now. The cave they were sheltering in gave them a good view of Omori and its' surroundings, but between the regular wall patrols and the lack of terrain to provide cover, the Kiyoshi had been unable to get any closer to the fortress.

Ty Lee hadn't seen anything worth reporting back so far, at least nothing that Zuko couldn't find out by observation balloon. Before they had left, the Yuyan Archers told her that Takeo occasionally sent out small scouting parties, although she couldn't understand why: there was nothing to forage for in the dead of winter, and since Zuko's troops were not deployed on land yet, there were no enemy camps to sabotage. But since the Kiyoshi had arrived, no new patrols emerged from Omori. Hence her week of sleeping on frozen, jagged rocks.

Ty Lee wasn't complaining, though. It had been a while since either Suki or Mai had found her a mission that promised real action. Both women were busy training the next generation: Suki her pupils, and Mai her daughter. Ty Lee loved them both dearly, but being regulated to captain of the guard dimmed her aura. She loved socializing and she loved intense action, and these were hard to find in the ultra-formal, extremely secure Capitol. If she were a bit more ambitious, Ty Lee would have made a play for Suki's job; she might not have her leadership skills, but she was a more talented fighter, and extremely popular among the younger Kiyoshi Warriors. But Ty Lee could never do that to Suki, especially now when she and Sokka had just split. She simply fell back into her usual role of following and delegating orders.

 _That didn't stop you at the Boiling Rock, though._

Ty Lee shook her head. That hadn't been ambition, it had been love and trust versus love and fear, and that was no choice.

"Ty Lee." A voice broke through her thoughts. "Jeonsa saw movement on the western mountain track. Two Fire Nation soldiers, heading towards Omori."

Ty Lee opened her eyes. Although she knew her fellow warriors' faces by now, it was still jarring to see them without their traditional mask of war paint. "Are they Zuko's or Takeo's?"

Jeonsa knelt in front of her. She was the newest addition to Ty Lee's team, coming from the western edge of the Earth Kingdom. "I didn't see any insignia on their uniforms, but their armor was black and bronze-"

"They're Takeo's. Zuko's troops wear _red_ and bronze armor, except his personal guard." Ty Lee stood up. "Good eye, Jeonsa. How close are they to our cave?"

"About half a mile. If they pass by, they'll be able to see the canvass over the entrance."

"We'll need to take them by surprise." She smiled encouragingly at her pupil. "Ready to put those chi-blocking lessons to good use?"

Jeonsa swallowed nervously, then smiled back. "They'll never know what hit them, _sifu_."

Tucking her long braid under her hood, Ty Lee pulled a scarf over the lower half of her face and stepped out of the cave entrance. Immediately she was assaulted by ferociously cold night air, despite her insulated white jumpsuit; the cave might not be very hospitable, but it at least kept them out of the wind. Jeonsa followed her out, gesturing at a narrow track carved into the mountain's western shoulder. Not far off, two figures in furs and light armor were trudging in the direction of Omori: scouts. The skull-like eye visors of their helmets marked them as Firebenders.

Picking her way along the rock-face above the path, Ty Lee settled into a crouch, ready to spring. As the muffled sound of boots crushing snow drew nearer, she glanced at Jeonsa, who had climbed down a jagged outcrop and come up behind the two Firebenders. She tapped two fingers against her left shoulder, then her neck. Jeonsa nodded, took a deep breath, and darted forward, her soft-soled boots muffling her footsteps. At the same moment, Ty Lee jumped, dropping directly onto her victim's shoulders. The impact nearly knocked the wind out of her, but as they both hit the ground her fingers found the spot she was looking for, at the base of the neck between the helmet and cuirasse-straps. The rebel was unconscious before he even had a chance to struggle.

A yelp of alarm and a _whoosh_ of flame behind her told Ty Lee that Jeonsa's strike must have missed. As she spun around, she realized she was only half-right; Jeonsa _had_ managed to chi-block the Firebender, but on the leg rather than the arms. Although struggling to stay upright, he was wildly hurling jets of fire at Jeonsa as she circled around him, looking for an opening. As he raised his arm again, Ty Lee caught his wrist from behind and jabbed two fingers against the pressure point in his opposite shoulder, paralyzing him.

Jeonsa hastily withdrew a length of cord from her belt and lashed the unconscious scout's wrists and ankles together. "Sorry, _sifu."_ Her expression was forlorn. "I don't understand why I missed, I knew exactly where I was supposed to hit him-"

"It's impossible to anticipate _everything_." Ty Lee waved it off as she bound her own prisoner's limbs. "You still managed to disable him, no problem. Let's bring them up here and see what they can tell us."

In the short time it took them to bring their victims back up to the mouth of the cave, the east wind began to pick up. Shielding herself under an overhang, Ty Lee crouched over Jeonsa's captive, who was alert despite his paralysis. "You know, it's not the _best_ weather to be going for a hike." She remarked conversationally. "I mean, even for a Firebender, you're really pushing it."

The scout's expression changed from defiant contempt to confusion in about two seconds. "Eh?"

"I mean, I get that Takeo wants you to see what the Fire Lord's up to, but think about the risk. You're heading out into land that hasn't been properly charted since the Air Nomad Genocide, risking encounters not just with local wildlife but enemy scouts, airships, artillery... and he only sends _two_ of you?" Ty Lee shrugged and brushed snow from her hood, carefully keeping her face covered. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you volunteered for this as some ridiculous plan to win back a bit of ... 'honor?'"

"Either that, or they were looking for a chance to defect." Jeonsa added casually. "Any direction's the right direction if they were looking for the Fire Lord's mercy; they're completely surrounded by air, land _and_ sea."

The sneer returned to the scout's face. "That's what you think. If we wanted to evacuate Omori, we could do it at any time."

"Oh?" Ty Lee cocked an eyebrow. "And how you'll accomplish that while you're _completely surrounded_ is...?"

"You'll have to wait until the battle." The rebel snorted. "I'm not stupid enough to tell you what General Takeo's plan is-"

"But apparently you _are_ stupid enough to tell us that there _is_ a secret evacuation route." Jeonsa tweaked his nose and glanced at Ty Lee. "Wonder if the entire garrison knows about that? If the scouts were aware..."

"Could be." Ty Lee pretended to nod in agreement. "Maybe we'll pick up a few deserters whose tongues are a bit looser than this one. He's probably told us all he's able to, anyway."

The scout's abashed expression faded, and a smug smile crossed his face. "It doesn't matter whether you learned anything from me... since you won't live long enough to tell about it anyway!" He suddenly threw his body sideways and thrust his bound hands at Jeonsa's face in a Firebending gesture, but nothing happened. She snagged the cords around his wrists and jerked, slamming his face into the ground.

"You really think it wears off that fast?" Jeonsa snorted. "Clearly, you've never encountered chi-blocking before. I thought Takeo's scouts were supposed to be 'veterans of a hundred campaigns'-"

Ty Lee cleared her throat, and Jeonsa clamped her mouth shut. The reference to chi-blocking was too specific, even if the prisoner missed it; chi-blocking was a fairly common technique now, but during the war only a handful of people had known about its' existence. Including Takeo.

His nose bleeding, the young man glared up at her. "If you're going to torture me for information, get on with it. We've been conditioned to resist your worst-"

"Oh, _please._ " Ty Lee scoffed. "We're not barbarians." She nodded to Jeonsa. "Knock him out, then follow me. We're going to need a closer look."

Moving to the back of the cave, where a single lantern had been fitted into a socket in the wall, she pulled a small scroll from her belt. There was a faint _thump_ behind her; seconds later, Jeonsa appeared at her shoulder. "You're going to look for that 'evacuation route', aren't you?"

"Seems like the best choice, if our plan is to save lives during the battle." Ty Lee unrolled the scroll and held it up to the light; it showed the architectural designs of Fort Omori. "The wooden keep at the center is just for show. Most of the fort is an underground maze, but the surface walls and towers help the defenders see attacks coming from nearly every direction- except _here_." She tapped a tunnel entrance near the southeast corner of Omori. "This entrance is hidden near a frozen spring that feeds into the fjord, at the base of the mountain. Since the mountain overlooks Omori itself, the architects didn't bother putting a tower overlooking this entrance. If they needed a view of enemy positions from that direction, they could just send scouts up the mountain instead."

"Wise of them to consider that an enemy might come over the mountain." Jeonsa shrugged. "Unwise of them to rely solely on scouts, though. Especially given how easy they are to chi-block."

Ty Lee chuckled. "Older Army officers always assume that benders are the biggest threat. And from what Mai and Zuko told me, Takeo's always relied heavily on benders in his campaigns."

"He's commanded Omori since before the war ended, though; he may have made upgrades that aren't shown in these plans. You shouldn't go alone, _sifu_ , I'll get the rest of the team together-"

"No, we can't all go. If we want to achieve stealth- and trust me, we do, Mai will _kill_ us if we give ourselves away- we need to keep it as few as possible." She flashed another encouraging smile. "Besides, I wasn't planning to go _completely_ alone. You up for another hike?"

The younger woman looked uncertain. "You really want _me_ as your backup, after I just missed my first strike _and_ almost gave us away?"

"Hey, nothing improves your skills like experience. Nobody gets it perfect the first time around; you should hear Suki talk about when Sokka came to ask her for combat lessons." She put her hand on her pupil's shoulder. "You can do this, Jeonsa. Ready to show Takeo what a couple nonbenders can do?"

Jeonsa still looked nervous, but she clasped her hands and bowed her head. "You got it, _sifu_."

Ty Lee briefed their comrades on her plan, telling them that if she and Jeonsa didn't return within twenty-four hours, they were to inform Mai and evacuate the cave to be picked up by the Air Fleet. Masking their faces again, she and Jeonsa stepped outside. The wind had died down a bit, and the snow was falling more slowly, in large, fat flakes. If Ty Lee hadn't been heading into such a dangerous situation, she would've stopped and appreciated just how beautiful the scene was- apart from the ugly stain of Omori in the background, anyway.

* * *

The two Kiyoshi Warriors picked their way along the southeastern slope of the mountain, beyond the path the scouts had been following. Not being encumbered by armor like the Firebenders, they made good progress, quickly crossing a ridge and finding their way onto some kind of game trail. Ty Lee made out several faint hoof and paw-prints in the snow, though she couldn't identify which animals they were. As they gradually went higher, they began to glance about for signs of human activity. The peak of the mountain had once held a wooden signal tower, but one of the Fire Lord's airships had scored a direct hit at the start of the siege, demolishing it. However, Takeo had quickly built a better-concealed replacement halfway down the slope. Fortunately, Ty Lee had discovered it by accident on her first scouting trek near Omori. How the sentries stayed warm without fires was beyond her. She and her team had observed the position for a full day, and saw neither smoke nor light. But the rebels were definitely there; the garrison rotated periodically.

As they neared the outcrop where the new tower stood, Ty Lee gestured at Jeonsa, and they strapped snowshoes to the soles of their boots, muffling their footsteps. Their jumpsuits might give them some camouflage in the snow, but without the howling of the wind, they had to proceed even more quietly than usual. At least three voices were coming from inside the wood-and-canvass structure. Oddly, despite there being no sign of fire or smoke, Ty Lee could smell scorched stone, and feel heat.

She waited beside the door as Jeonsa scaled the parapet of the tower, then rapped lightly on the wall with her fist. The first man gave a groggy exclamation of confusion as he pushed open the screen and stepped outside, his furs askew and his armor missing altogether. As soon as he slid the screen back into place, Ty Lee jabbed the pressure point on his neck; he was down with barely a sound. She dragged his unconscious form behind the wall as his comrades called for him, mockingly. When he didn't respond, there were suspicious mutterings and the sounds of buckling on armor; the other two would be more alert.

But this time, Jeonsa was ready for them. As they came through the door, she dropped from the roof, looping her legs around the first one's neck; in the same movement, she struck out with her folded _tessen_ fan, the steel edge striking the other sentry's temple. Both were down and out in a matter of seconds.

Ty Lee nodded approvingly. "Much better. Check to see if one of them has an updated schematic of Omori." She slid back the screen and glanced inside the enclosure. Instead of timber, red-hot stones were gathered at the center of the fire pit. Hence the warmth and the smell of smoldering rock.

Jeonsa followed her in, triumphantly brandishing a piece of paper. "Turns out the original tunnel has collapsed. One of Zuko's airships dropped a bomb directly onto the entrance, so they had to dig a new one. It's about twenty yards south from the original."

Ty Lee nodded, taking the schematic from her. "Hopefully, that's also their evacuation route. I'm gonna head across the spring to check it out." She stepped back outside and glanced eastward at the dark horizon, then down the slope at Omori itself. "It'll be dawn soon. Keep an eye on these ones for me; any new ones show up, you put them to sleep too."

Jeonsa frowned. "I should come with you-"

"In case I do something stupid, like try to drag Takeo out of there single-handed?" Ty Lee cut her off. "I appreciate that you're committed to Mai's orders of only observing, Jeonsa. But if we really want to bring Mai any worthwhile information, we need to know what's going on in Omori, inside as well as out." She forced an encouraging smile onto her face. "Just keep the back door open in case I need to bolt quickly, okay?"

Jeonsa looked annoyed at being regulated to sentry duty, but she reluctantly nodded. Ty Lee would have been willing to let her come further after the successful takedown, but she knew Mai was right; she needed to avoid unnecessary risks to her student's lives.

Ty Lee descended the slope with little difficulty, picking her way among scattered groves of pine trees until she finally reached bank of the spring. Flattening herself against a boulder, she scanned the area. A sizable crater on the other side of the ice marked where the old entrance had been. So, twenty yards south... her eyes fell on a small, deformed pine that was bent double. The snow around it was piled into curious drifts...

Sliding lightly across the frozen water on her snowshoes, Ty Lee crept over to the tree and gently shook its' trunk, dislodging a heavy blanket of snow. Several branches sprang free from one of the drifts, revealing a steel trapdoor fitted into the ice and rock below.

"Perfect."

Leaving her snowshoes under the tree, she lifted the trapdoor and descended into the tunnel. It was a good thing her eyes were accustomed to the dark; even compared to the keep and towers of Omori, this passage was barely lit. Luckily, Ty Lee was an excellent climber even when she could barely see, but she quickly realized she needn't have worried. Depressions for foot and hand-grips had been cut into the walls, deep and precise... almost as if done by a machine. Clearly, Takeo was not short of wartime technology.

There was a sudden rise of temperature, and Ty Lee hastily flattened herself against the wall of the shaft. Two Firebending officers passed through a horizontal tunnel directly below hers; luckily, they were too deep in conversation to look up.

"...Shingen's about ready to explode." The shorter one remarked. "If he's this hotheaded before the action even starts, Takeo should never have promoted him to colonel."

"What did you expect?" The second replied. "Shingen's a good officer, but everyone has their weaknesses. Anyway, he'd probably be angry about the Mudslingers even if one of them _wasn't_ screwing that Combustionbender girl."

Ty Lee's ears pricked up at the word 'Mudslinger', an old wartime slang for Earthbenders. A pit of uneasiness began to grow in her stomach. She dropped silently into the passage behind them.

"Well, between you and me, I don't trust them anymore than he does. My guess is, the Mudslingers are planning to defect to Zuko once they reach Hira'a."

"They can't join Zuko, because there's no way he'd guarantee their immunity. Either way, if they appear on Fire Nation soil without any warning, he'll probably become paranoid like never before. If he pardoned them, they're free to talk, and they'll reveal the whole Omori secret. Besides, their boss probably thinks the fewer people know about them until he's ready to strike, the better."

"Sounds like you've been reading up on 'Neutral Jing'." The taller officer chuckled. "Probably isn't going to help you much if you're not a Mudslinger, though."

"Well, doing nothing _seems_ like a worthless tactic, unless nobody knows you're there. That _is_ how the Dai Li always survive, isn't it? By making sure as _few_ people know about them as possible."

Ty Lee clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp of shock. Fortunately, the Firebenders didn't hear her and kept walking. She leaned against the wall, feeling sick. All too well, she remembered the coup in Ba Sing Se (and her own role in it), and most of all the grim, merciless faces of the Dai Li. But no trace of them had been found after the war. Of course, Ty Lee hadn't been present when the Dai Li were banished from the Fire Nation- she and Mai had been imprisoned at the Boiling Rock for...

She shook her head. There was no point going down _that_ track of memory lane. So Takeo must have somehow found the Dai Li, and convinced them to make an alliance with him. And apparently they were heading for Hira'a, the birthplace of Zuko's mother and stepfather.

It didn't make sense. If there was one place where Earthbenders would give Takeo a critical advantage, it was here, at Omori. His garrison was mostly Firebenders, whose power was weakening as the Winter Solstice came nearer. Opposing him, Zuko's Army, Air Fleet and Navy were an even mixture of Firebenders and nonbenders, backed by armor, air power and artillery. Earthbending would be ideal for deflecting bombardments and defending the underground tunnels against enemy advances. So if Takeo had the Dai Li at his disposal, why were they being sent to a remote corner of the Fire Nation, were there was nothing of any strategic value?

Unless... they were planning to kidnap Zuko's mother and use her as a hostage. Now, that _was_ worrying to think about. The _Kemurikage_ had already managed to kidnap Kiyi twenty years before, and Zuko had only managed to rescue his half-sister with help from Mai and Aang. Takeo, despite being away from the Capitol City, had known about the _Kemurikage_ uprising; he had even sent troops from his garrison to help Zuko put it down, while at the same time sheltering the fleeing members of the New Ozai Society. Now, he could be using the kidnapping as inspiration for his current plans.

Kiyi was't a child anymore, but a powerful Firebender living in the heavily-guarded palace; she could look after herself. Her parents were another matter. Ursa and Ikem were nonbenders who had been trained in stagecraft, not combat. Besides, they spent most of the year outside the Capitol, either at Zuko's estate on Ember Island, or... at Hira'a.

Ty Lee's aura turned an unpleasant shade of orange. Zuko had spent the first year of his reign fighting to find Ursa and bring her safely home. Her kidnapping was exactly the sort of thing that would unhinge him, make him do something impulsive and/or stupid. The airships needed to turn around and head straight to Hira'a... but she would need proof to convince the Air Fleet Commander, without Zuko or Mai to vouch for her. Keeping her ear tuned for footsteps or voices, she pulled out the updated plan of Omori and squinted at it. If she turned left just ahead, she would be heading straight for the main barracks; _that_ would do her no good. The direction the officers had taken led up into the outermost wall. As for her right... that led downwards, to a dark square simply labeled 'the entrance'. It hadn't been on the plan Mai gave her. Which meant it was worth investigating.

She headed down the passage to the right, hugging the steel braces and ventilation pipes along the walls as it became steeper and wider. The temperature began to rise, and she heard shouts and clanging noises ahead. After descending along multiple switchbacks, and twice heading into dead-ends, Ty Lee noticed a faint, reddish glow ahead. Keeping as much in the shadows as she could, she turned a corner and found herself at the top of a rock-cut staircase, leading down into a vast, circular chamber. There, she saw the reason for the ventilation pipes.

A circular pit, about forty feet in diameter and encircled by a rope-and-post barrier, had been hacked into the stone floor. At least thirty Firebenders stood around its' edges, using their bending to disperse the steam that was rising from its' depths. The clanging sound came from a pair of steel cranes whose pulleys were rotating, drawing... _something_... upwards. Somehow, she had a feeling _this_ was the evacuation route her prisoner had implied. The question that remained was: where did it lead to?

Movement beyond the pit caught Ty Lee's eye. A figure in familiar dark robes was coming out of a tunnel at the back of the chamber; a wide-brimmed, tasseled hat hid most of his face. It seemed not _all_ the Dai Li had been sent to Hira'a, after all. She watched as he anchored his stone-encased shoes to the edge of the pit and descended into the depths. The pit was another question she needed to answer, but with this many benders guarding it she would need to request backup from Suki and Mai. For now, she needed proof of the Dai Li's presence.

Keeping a wary eye on the Firebenders, she descended along the edge of the stairs. Luckily, they were all focused on the task at hand, and as a bonus, the steam gave her some extra cover. Reaching the doorway the Dai Li officer had come from, she found a long corridor lined with rough, rock-cut chambers. All were blocked by stone slabs; from the way they simply erupted from the floor, they must have been raised by Earthbending. There was no way she was getting in without explosives, which would either give her away or collapse the tunnel. Ty Lee ground her teeth in frustration. All this way, and she was held up by a damn door?

Something polished on the floor caught her eye. Crouching, she spotted a small bronze tassel, a plume of green silk trailing from it under the nearest slab. Must have come loose from an officers' hat when he left in a hurry. There was her proof of the Dai Li, on the ground right in front of her. She grabbed it and tugged until the silk cords tore free, then stuffed the tassel into her boot. It would have to do. Now, she needed to get the Hell out of here.

As she crept back through the pit chamber, the impulse to somehow sabotage the cranes crossed Ty Lee's mind, but she ignored it. For that, she needed Sokka's mechanical expertise. Anyway, she'd promised Mai, Suki and now Jeonsa that she wouldn't do anything stupid or impulsive. What she'd already found out was a game-changer for Zuko; it wasn't worth pressing her luck further and risking capture.

It seemed to take her forever to re-trace her footsteps to the exit passage. When she finally turned the right corner, she almost ran directly into a Firebender. Luckily, he was even more surprised than she was. All he had time for was one slash with a fire-dagger before his limbs were paralyzed; she finished the job with an axe-kick to the jaw, knocking him flat. Scurrying up the tunnel, she opened the trapdoor and poked her head cautiously over the snowline. No one was on her stretch of the wall, thank the Spirits. Climbing out, she closed the trapdoor and scattered snow over it. She was unable to bend the pine tree back to its' original position, though; hopefully, the next snowstorm would weight it down enough. The sky was clear, so she couldn't rely on snowfall to muffle her footsteps.

Strapping her snowshoes back on, Ty Lee glided back across the frozen spring and dove behind a snowdrift, in case any fire came from the outer wall. Amazingly, no one seemed to have seen her. She picked her way from boulder to boulder until she reached a steep cliff. Going around it might be a little safer, but climbing it gave her a shortcut to the snow-capped trees. From there, she would have good cover all the way to the sentry tower where Jeonsa was waiting for her. Switching the snowshoes for climbing spikes on her belt, she began to scale the sheer rock-face. Her foot slipped briefly, causing a shower of small stones and ice shards, but she was out of range from the wall by now, and she made it to the top without real trouble. Now, if she just stayed behind the rocks until she reached the treeline...

* * *

Rila's keen eyes made out faint movements on the slope, about half a mile from Omori's eastern wall. The figure was far too nimble to be one of Takeo's scouts. Besides, this one was moving _away_ from the fortress, whereas all the rebels had been ordered to retreat to Omori.

Takeo had sent her out to provide anti-air cover for their returning scout patrols. Having seen no airships over the mountain track, and growing increasingly bored, she had returned to the bank of the frozen spring to wait for her comrades. Genpei was gone for the time being, and that irked her more than she expected. Despite his naive idealism for the Dai Li, she missed his gentler nature. There hadn't been much gentleness when she was growing up.

If Rila hadn't stopped to rest, she might never have noticed the falling pebbles and ice, then the one who caused it. What a piece of luck. She knew what fate spies suffered if they were taken alive... and Takeo would demand that the spy was taken alive, if he found out about it. No question that they had to die if Takeo's plan was to succeed, but torture seemed unnecessary... except for someone like 'Fire Lord' Zuko.

Rila fixed her eyes on the rocks beneath her target's feet, lining up her forehead- and the tattoo covering her _ajna chakra_ \- with the climber. She could still make them out faintly through her peripheral vision. This was a bit further than her usual range, so she would need to charge it longer. She inhaled deeply through her nose, feeling the kinetic energy build into a crackling sphere at the base of her spine. Exhaling the reserves, she breathed in again, three more times, focusing on the _chakra_ point in her forehead, and closed her eyes. She no longer needed her peripheral vision to find her target; it was as if the eye tattoo over her _ajna chakra_ gave her actual second sight. The image of the figure scuttling over the top of the cliff sharpened in her mind, and she felt the briefest moment of pity; they would never see it coming. Again, at least it would be quick.

She inhaled a final time, tilted her head back slightly, feeling the energy build to the point that it would kill her if she misfired. Then she snapped her eyes open and thrust her arms downwards in a Firebending gesture. The energy sphere rushed up her spinal cord, exiting through her _ajna chakra_.

* * *

For a split second, there was a smell not unlike black powder, accompanied by an odd sound. There were two faint _pops_ , almost like logs crackling on a fire, and then the shock wave slammed into Ty Lee at point-blank range, throwing her back against the rock-face. The _boom_ of the explosion followed right after, louder than the roar of a dragon, deafening her.

Ty Lee was too stunned at first to even notice hitting the rocks, rolling down through the snow and jolting to a halt against a scorched tree stump. Blinking rapidly to clear the spots of light from her vision, she tried and failed to prop herself upright on an elbow. Shakily, she put a hand to her forehead; her fingertips came away stained with rock-ash and blood. She wracked the corners of her brain for an explanation. Some kind of new artillery? But she would have heard another explosion beforehand, as the shell was fired...

A pale, concerned face suddenly appeared in front of her, outlined by a white hood: Jeonsa, thank the Spirits. Her lips moved urgently, but no sounds came out. Ty Lee frowned, then remembered that the explosion had deafened her. She tried to pull herself upright, and pins and needles filled her limbs, especially the left arm she had landed on; she would have some _lovely_ bruises tomorrow, if they made it back to the cave alive. Jeonsa threw her arm over her shoulders and hoisted her upright. Ty Lee let out a muffled yelp (or she thought she did; she couldn't hear her own voice) as a searing pain shot through her right side. She glanced down as they hobbled away from the stump, and winced. The fire of the explosion had seared her hip and lower ribs, leaving a raw, blistering patch of skin beneath the scorched material of her jumpsuit. She gritted her teeth as they struggled up the slope, hugging every piece of cover they could in case their attacker fired again.

"At least it's not numb." She felt her mouth move to form the words, and this time was relieved to hear them, faint though they were. "Can I rest a moment?" Jeonsa nodded and set her down next to a huge fir tree. Ty Lee gingerly pressed a handful of snow against her wound. "I'd be in worse shape if the burn was so deep that the nerves were gone."

"It still doesn't look good, _sifu_." Jeonsa's forehead was furrowed in concern as she slapped some medicinal herbs and a field dressing over the burn. "We need to send a hawk up to the Air Fleet as soon as we're back to the cave; they can bring down an observation balloon to evacuate you."

"Don't be ridiculous." Ty Lee stood up shakily, wincing again. Her head was still ringing, and she was hurting all over, but she was reasonably sure that her injuries weren't life-threatening. She patted her shin hastily; the Dai Li tassel was still stuffed securely into her boot. "We need to get word to Mai and Zuko first, what I found in Omori will affect the entire battle."

"You can tell them yourself when you're at the hospital, or tell the air fleet while they're transporting you-"

" _Jeonsa_." Ty Lee grabbed her wrist, ignoring the pain to her left arm. "Mai sent us, as opposed to anyone else, because she knows we operate by _stealth_. I have a commitment to her and Zuko, both as the leaders of my Nation, but also as my friends. The information I have needs to reach them right away, and not through anyone else. I'm writing that message and sending the hawk off myself, today; _then_ , you can worry about evacuating me. As long as you can get me back okay?"

A reluctant smile crept back onto Jeonsa's face. "Not to worry. I've carried much heavier loads than _you_ when I lived in the Earth Kingdom."

"Hey, watch it." Ty Lee chuckled as Jeonsa helped her upright. "No one's agreed to being carried-"

Her voice was drowned out by the thunder of the next projectile, which slammed into the tree just above Jeonsa's shoulder. The explosion threw both of them outward and down the slope again. There was a flash of fire, the outline of something huge and jagged rushing toward them, a blinding pain to her right temple, and then everything went black.

* * *

"Looks like they made it pretty close to the outer wall." A harsh voice broke through Ty Lee's unconsciousness. "Look where they fell. Rila must have seen them coming and taken them out. See those impact craters in the rocks? That's what triggered the landslide."

"It coulda been our artillery-"

"Yeah, sure. With Takeo threatening to flog us if we use 'even a single shell' before the battle? Besides, you heard that boom earlier; only Combustion bolts make a sound like that."

 _Combustion bolts_.

 _That Combustionbender girl_.

Ty Lee's left eyelid flickered open; the right one seemed stuck, probably glued shut by the blood from her forehead. She made out a number of figures in dark, bulky clothing, edged in bronze. More of Takeo's scouts; this was not good. Shakily, she started to move her arm towards her belt ... and a boot pressed down firmly on her injured wrist, causing her to hiss through her teeth in pain. She glanced up and saw a hulking young man with ragged side-whiskers leering down at her; it was one of the sentries she and Jeonsa had knocked out.

"Looks like this one's still alive after all, Sergeant." The sentry chuckled. "I guess she missed the worst of Rila's Combustion bolt."

"No, look at the way they fell- together, until they hit the slope again. The younger one must have shielded her from part of the blast."

 _The younger one...Jeons_ _a!_

Ty Lee forced her right eye open and struggled to sit up, but the sentry twisted his heel; she hissed in pain again. He conjured a fireball and raised his hand over her head.

"Enough of that." The harsh-voiced sergeant growled.

"Ah, come on, she needs a taste of her own medicine-"

"She'll get it soon enough, when Takeo interrogates her. The more you damage a prisoner beforehand, the less likely we gain any information."

The sentry reluctantly took his boot off Ty Lee's wrist, and she sat up. Her side hurt a bit less, thanks to Jeonsa's dressing and the cold, but her head was worse. The snow had stopped falling, and faint rays of daylight had turned the clouds from ink-blue to iron-grey. She couldn't have been unconscious for more than twenty to thirty minutes. The second explosion had triggered a minor avalanche, and the deep snow around them was scattered with blackened rock shards and scorched fir branches; twenty yards up the slope, the fallen tree was mostly buried. At least twelve of Takeo's scouts stood around her, plus the three guards from earlier.

Then her eyes fell on a female scout with dark red-tinted hair, a _katana_ tucked loosely into her belt. Ty Lee recognized the five-clawed dragon design on the _katana_ 's hilt immediately. She had watched Suki present it to Jeonsa after she completed her training as a Kiyoshi warrior.

For all her experience in lethal combat, Ty Lee had never taken a life before. Her _chi_ -blocking technique was specifically meant to incapacitate, not kill, and she was so skilled at unarmed combat she'd never felt the need to resort to her sword. But if she'd been able to react fast enough at that moment, she would have snapped the woman's neck. Her aura went red. She forced herself upright, reaching for her own _katana_ with her uninjured arm, but the other two sentries grabbed her wrists. Ty Lee struggled against them, but her grief and anger couldn't give her the power Aang had with the Avatar State.

The scout with Jeonsa's sword chuckled. "Nice try, sweetheart. Were you gonna avenge your little friend? Not much point, really, I didn't kill her; the avalanche did the job for us. All I did was help myself to a souvenir." She ran her finger over the polished guard of the _katana_. "Maybe I'll take yours too, keep a full set."

"Not before I have a look at it, you won't." The sergeant crouched in front of Ty Lee and took the sword from her belt, examining it's single-edged blade. "This sword is from Kiyoshi island, off the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom. I saw them used when I went there on one of Takeo's raids, thirty years ago. Nowhere else makes blades of this shape, and not even Master Piandao uses this quality of steel." He glanced at Ty Lee with idle curiosity, tapping her _tessen_ fan. "This is Kiyoshi-made, too. The Kiyoshi have worked more for the Fire Lord than the Earth King since the war ended... but you're not a Kiyoshi Warrior, are you? You're Fire Nation, I can see it in your features."

"The Kiyoshi take in _any_ nonbenders, not just Earth Citizens, you traitor." Ty Lee spat.

"Regardless..." The sergeant wiped his face calmly. "You remind me of someone..."

"Me, too." The woman strode over, grabbed Ty Lee's chin and brushed the soot and blood from her face, then pulled her braid out of her hood. "Grey eyes, dark brown hair in a plait, long neck, pale complexion... this is that brat that used to follow Fire Lord Azula around, until she betrayed her at the Boiling Rock! I recognize her from wartime propaganda." She gave Ty lee a look of contempt. "And _you're_ so high and mighty as to call _us_ traitors?"

"Ty Lee?" The sergeant frowned. "You're not serious."

"If you don't believe me, look at this." The scout tapped the end of Ty Lee's plait, which was decorated with an ornamental jade ring stamped with the Royal Seal. "Regardless of who she is, she's working for Zuko and Mai personally."

The sergeant nodded, sheathing Ty Lee's _katana_ and tucking it into his belt. "We'll take her back to Omori, see what we can get out of her. If you're right, Takeo will be pleased; one more hostage for him to use against that upstart Zuko."

Ty Lee was still boiling with rage and grief as the woman tossed her over her shoulder like a sack, but the sergeant's words registered vaguely at the back of her mind. One _more_ hostage? It seemed her suspicion was correct: the Dai Li had been sent to kidnap Ursa.

All she knew was that she couldn't let them take her back to Omori. Suki's anti-interrogation techniques only went so far, and Ty Lee might betray the location of her Kiyoshi comrades under torture. She had a poison capsule hidden under her right wristband, but couldn't reach it with her injured arm. Besides, if her fate was sealed, she'd rather try to take one of her enemies with her, for once. For being so knowledgeable, these scouts were pretty arrogant. They knew who she was, and they didn't even bother to bind her hands?

As the woman stepped between two ragged pine trees, Ty Lee suddenly reached up and jabbed her sharply in the side of the neck. Injured and exhausted though she was, her fingers found the _chi_ point she was looking for. As both she and her captor fell to the ground, a sharp pain surged through her ankle, but she ignored it. The sergeant shouted in alarm, but he was behind the other scouts, unable to act. Ty Lee snatched Jeonsa's _katana_ from her victim's belt and raised it over her head.

Before she could bring it down, a burst of flame struck her shoulder and knocked her flat, the _katana_ flying out of her hands. The sentry with the side-whiskers loomed over her again, his face twisted with malevolent rage, his upraised hand still encased in fire.

" _NO!_ " The sergeant bellowed. "We need her _ALIVE!_ "

But to Ty Lee's relief, the sentry didn't hear him. She recognized the look in his eye, a look she'd seen in the eyes of countless beaten opponents, a look that was probably in her own eyes right now. There would be pain, but it would be over quickly, and her other comrades would be safe.

But the Firebender's hand never touched her. A metal-capped boot heel slammed into his jaw, hurling him backward.

A grey-cloaked, hooded figure had descended on the scouts, Jeonsa's dropped _katana_ in it's gloved hand. Landing in their midst, it hurled the blade directly at the sergeant's face, impaling him right through the visor of his helmet.

The other Firebenders roared in shock and fury at the death of their leader, and spread into a wide circle around the newcomer. Each conjured a flame on their fists. The cloaked figure pulled a long, oddly-curved blade from its' belt and brandished it in a defensive position, then beckoned mockingly with its' other hand.

" _Nonbenders_." Sneered the sentry as he struggled upright and spat out a broken tooth, blood trickling from his mouth. "When will 'ou learn 'our place?" He glanced at the other rebels. "What're 'ou waiting for? Kill 'im!"

Flames surged from all sides, torching the phantom in a bright inferno. It dropped in a crumpled, smoking heap, and the sentry gave a chuckle of satisfaction as he stepped forward. "Well, looks like 'at one was all bravado and no- 'ey!" He had kicked at the burning cloak, and it fell apart to reveal nothing underneath it. "Where?!-"

A black-garbed arm looped around his neck from behind, its' knife cutting his throat in one swift stroke. The hooded figure leaped away from the body and rammed its' weapon into another victim's chest. The rest of the scouts attacked, firing indiscriminately, but in their panic most of their shots went wide, as their opponent struck again and again. Streaks of crimson stained the snow.

Ty Lee had been shocked by the unexpected, brutal arrival, but now she realized the rebels had all taken their eyes off her. Her head was throbbing, her vision unsteady and her body battered and torn, but she wasn't done yet. She struggled into a crouch, ignoring her limbs' protests. As one of the rebels retreated past her, she unfolded her _tessen_ and slashed at his shins, cutting through the bindings on his greaves. Stumbling over his own loosened armor, the scout fell at her feet. Snapping her fan closed, Ty Lee raised it to make a fatal blow.

But the red glow of her earlier rage flickered, as she saw her victim's face. He wasn't much older than she and Mai had been during the last year of the war, had scabs on his jaw from early attempts to shave. His eyes were dilated in terror, silently pleading for mercy, even though he had no right to expect it.

Ty Lee hadn't joined the war of her own free will, she'd been coerced... and partly thanks to her compliance, Fire Lord Ozai had nearly succeeded in bringing the entire world under his tyranny. Everyone should have a choice...

But her rescuer didn't seem to share that opinion. As Ty Lee hesitated, the hooded figure stepped across from her and made a lightning-quick slash with its' curved knife. The scout's final breath drove the lifeblood from his throat. Ty Lee looked away, tasting bile at the back of her mouth. She didn't know what to think; her emotions and energy were both spent.

Glancing around them, Ty Lee made a quick body count. All thirteen dead, most of them Firebenders. She might not like how it was done, but still, impressive. Warily, she turned back to her rescuer, trying to peer under the low-hanging cowl. "What...Who are you?"

Her benefactor didn't answer, simply gesturing up the slope. Ty Lee tried to stand upright, but fresh pain shot through her ankle; she must have twisted it when she _chi-_ blocked the woman. The phantom paused a moment, then strode over to the sergeant's corpse and pulled Ty Lee's sheathed _katana_ from his belt. Removing the sword and stripping the belts off two other bodies, it fashioned a crude splint around Ty Lee's lower leg with the scabbard, then grabbed her right arm and hauled her upright. Ty Lee's head was swimming, but she was able to manage a one-legged sort of hobble. Her injuries would still heal, but only if they got to shelter.

As they turned uphill, toward the half-buried tree, Ty Lee noticed something protruding from under the shattered portion of the trunk, where the Combustionbender's attack had struck: a scorched hand and forearm, clad in the same winter-white camouflage she was wearing.

"Wait." She whispered, her voice catching in her throat. Her rescuer glanced in the same direction, shook its' head, then relented and helped her through the snowdrifts until they reached Jeonsa, pinned across her ribs by the tree trunk. Even without her neck lying at an unnatural angle, it was clear that she was beyond saving; her face was a deathly shade of grey.

Ty Lee felt tears brimming in her eyes. Jeonsa had been trying so _hard_ to impress her and Suki from the beginning, had conquered her own anxiety so well on the approach to Omori... all that potential, all that enthusiasm and loyalty, snuffed out by a damn _tree._ She reached for the trunk, forgetting how heavy it was, how little strength she had left. Her rescuer quickly pulled her away, shaking its' head and gesturing back toward Omori.

They were right. Someone would have either heard or seen the battle and would probably send reinforcements to investigate. A cynical voice at the back of Ty Lee's mind congratulated her on causing some sabotage after all, but she had no reason to feel triumphant. Before the hooded figure could hoist her upright again, Ty Lee reached out and closed Jeonsa's eyes.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. She pressed two fingertips to Jeonsa's brow and bowed her head for a moment, silently asking Avatar Kiyoshi to look after her newest acolyte in the Spirit World. Then she allowed the phantom to lead her away.

Her scabbard-splint scraped a rock as they moved above the treeline and onto another game trail. The motion sent a jolt through her injured ankle, but also caused the Dai Li tassel to dig into her calf. She was amazed it was still there, and it reminded her of why this awful night had happened in the first place. But she couldn't finish her mission alone, and her rescuer seemed to be taking her northeast, away from both Omori _and_ the cave.

"My comrades are camped that way..." She started to point west, but the figure shook its' head impatiently and continued hauling her up the slope. Ty Lee wanted to protest, but she was too exhausted; even the splint was no longer enough to keep her on her feet. Her eyelids fluttered closed...

* * *

The gentle crackling of flames gradually brought her back. Ty Lee sat bolt upright, half expecting another Firebending attack, but there was no one else inside the cave. Her rescuer must have carried her the rest of the way. She winced when she tried to move; she'd been right about the bruises. She was wrapped in some kind of pale grey animal hide. It reeked of wet fur, but at least it was warm. She patted her boot and was relived to find the tassel still there.

The cave wasn't very large, nor did it look frequently used. Snow was piled halfway over the entrance, and she could faintly make out stars in the darkness outside; she must have slept through the day. Most of her gear, except her scabbard (still splinting her leg) was piled neatly by the wall. Glancing to the rear of the cave, she saw a haunch of meat hanging over the fire on a spit; a small, jagged crack in the ceiling provided a smoke-hole. Next to the fire were a crudely-carved wooden pot with a lid and a pine-bark cup. She dragged herself over to the fire and tentatively lifted the lid; steam rushed out, along with a smell of some kind of mountain herbs.

A scraping sound behind her made her spin around. Her hooded rescuer (now wearing a different cloak) approached the fire, kicking snow from its' boots and removing its' gloves. Picking up the pot of tea, it half-filled the cup and placed it in front of Ty Lee. She lifted it, sniffed it warily, then drank, coughing. It was bitter stuff, far harsher than anything she had drunk in Iroh's tea house, but it cleared her head a bit.

She glanced at the phantom, who had drawn its' long knife and was cutting into the roasting meat. "Thanks... I guess? Who are you, anyway? Why'd you bring me here? I appreciate your help, but I _really_ need to get back to the Fire Nation..."

The figure set down the knife and turned fully toward her for the first time. It pushed back the cowl to reveal an ornate blue-and-white _noh_ mask, adorned with ornamental brass horns and fangs.

Ty Lee groaned. She'd seen that particular mask before, a long time ago, and she knew who owned it. If Zuko himself had come to rescue her, she would never hear the end of it from Mai.

The "Blue Spirit" reached back to untie the bindings on the mask. Ty Lee braced herself for a volcanic scolding from the Fire Lord as the disguise was removed.

But though the golden eyes were virtually identical to Zuko's, the left one wasn't encircled by a scar. The sculpted features were narrower and more weathered after twenty years, and the brown-tinted black hair was no longer arranged in a sleek topknot and tresses, but hung in poorly-trimmed locks. But Ty Lee knew that face anywhere. Her heart seemed to stop.

"My, my, Ty Lee. How far you've come since the days of the circus." Azula remarked, brushing snow from the edge of her cloak.

* * *

This one took especially long due to technical issues with my computer, apologies for that...


	7. Chapter 5: Phleung Wōat

_Aang swept towards him, surrounded by the sphere of the Four Elements, his eyes and tattoos glowing with the Avatar State. His expression was difficult to read, but his mouth was set in a stern line._

 _Zuko raised his hands to shield himself, even though he knew the gesture was futile. "Aang, I know how this looks! But I swear to you, in my heart..."_

 _He cut himself off with a sigh, smiled grimly and pulled off his helmet, letting it drop to the ground. "...None of that matters, does it? I'm doing_ exactly _what my father would have done."_

 _Closing his eyes, the Fire Lord waited for the blow that would end his life, that would split the earth open and drop him into the abyss. Tiny bits of debris caught up in Aang's whirlwind stung his face. But although the sound of the circling elements- the hiss of water, the wail of wind and the snarl of flames- came closer, its' pattern didn't change. He cautiously opened his eyes again. Aang had drifted down until he was hovering mere inches off the ground, eye-to-eye with Zuko. His glowing eyes were blank, but he lifted his staff and pointed it at Zuko, accusingly._

 _With the voices of all the previous Avatars magnifying his own, he spoke: "...You acted for a good cause. But your means to that cause don't allow the world to heal. Prove yourself worthy of the Avatar's trust, Fire Lord. The world paid the price, when your great-grandfathers broke their trust in each other. If you repeat Sozin's mistake, we will not repeat Roku's."_

 _With that, he raised the staff, and a coil of all four elements reared into the sky, like a dragon's neck. It curved above the temple spires of Yu Dao, then turned and plummeted downward. Zuko flinched, but forced himself to hold his ground-_

"Dad? _Dad_."

As Zuko's eyes snapped open, the vision of Aang was replaced by his daughter. Izumi was staring at him with a puzzled, slightly concerned expression. He forced a reassuring smile as he sat up. "I'm all right, Izumi, it was just a bad dream."

Izumi frowned. "About what?"

"Aang, at the Battle of Yu Dao."

"Pretty scary."

Zuko nodded as he swung his legs off the bunk and stood; faint morning light was coming through the window of the airship. "You bet. Especially considering, at the time..." He paused. "A year before, right after my coronation, I made Aang promise he would kill me if I ever started acting like a tyrant or started another war."

Izumi's eyes widened. "But you weren't starting a war at Yu Dao, you were protecting the colonials, Earthbenders and Firebenders alike-"

"But King Kuei didn't know that, at the time. When the citizens of Yu Dao refused to leave or accept Earth Kingdom authority, Kuei forced my hand by sending in his troops, and then I forced _Aang's_ hand when I sent in mine. Thank the Spirits, Aang realized what I was trying to do." He sighed.

Izumi looked at him shrewdly. Although she had Zuko's golden eyes, her expression was just like Mai's, especially when she tilted her pointed chin forward. "So why's this worrying you so much? Aang hasn't gotten all scary and Avatar Statey since before _I_ was born-"

"I know, and I hope you never have to see him like that. But this time... I don't think he'll be quite so understanding."

"'This time?'"

Zuko hesitated. He had never been sure, about how much to discuss military and political matters with Izumi. He and Mai wanted her fully prepared, so he had conceded to letting Iroh be her Firebending teacher and giving Mai full reign of her education. It wasn't a problem of her not understanding what she was told; she was remarkably intelligent for her age. But Zuko wasn't sure about introducing her to modern politics. They often irritated him, and Izumi had inherited his lack of patience. She was already pushing herself too hard over her Firebending, and he worried about causing her additional stress.

Then again, Izumi could definitely keep a secret, in spite of her youth. Whenever she was worried about or hiding something, almost no one, not even Mai, was able to coax it out of her; she would only confide in Zuko. According to Mai, she had opened up to a few more people since his time abroad, but nearly all of them were in on the secret Takeo standoff. Except...

"I have something to tell you, Izumi, and it's something you can't mention to anyone. Not even Bumi, when you see him."

Izumi's cheeks turned slightly pink. "Why... would I tell Bumi a secret?"

Zuko smiled. "I'm your father, I'm not blind. Every time Aang and Katara bring their kids to the Capital, you spend the entire time with Bumi, and your mother tells me the two of you are always writing letters."

Izumi reddened. "He listens to me. It's more than my classmates ever do-"

Zuko laughed. "I'm glad he listens to you, Izumi. Don't think that I _disapprove_ of you having a crush on him. Bumi's a good kid, one of the best for your age, even if he's always getting into trouble." He gave her a small smirk. "It _would_ be pretty funny if the two of you ended up marrying, though. That'd be the second time in two generations that the Fire Lord married a descendant of the Avatar-"

" _Dad!"_ Izumi protested. "Back to that secret you were going to tell me?!"

Zuko's expression turned somber again. "What I meant to say is, however close you may feel to Bumi, this is something even _he_ can't be told about. Understand?" Izumi nodded. "You remember the trials we held for the Southern Raiders, a few years ago?"

Izumi nodded. "I remember reading about it in the newspapers."

Zuko took a deep breath. " Yon Rha was one of them, before Katara testified against him. He led most of the attacks on the Southern Water Tribe to capture or kill its' Waterbenders-"

"Dad, I already know about what Yon Rha did." Izumi cut him off. "I discussed that newspaper article with my teacher at the Academy, and I heard more from Katara the last time she was visiting the Capital. What about the Southern Raiders?"

Zuko smiled wryly; although he'd been about to make a point, he was pleased she was refusing to be distracted. He clasped his hands behind his back and stared out the window at the rising sun, low on the horizon as the Winter Solstice drew nearer. "Those trials weren't just for the Southern Raiders, it was anyone who committed a war crime against the other nations. There's a general now, named Takeo, who I decided to give a... second chance, after the war was over. About seven months ago, your Mom found out Takeo was hiding escaped members of the New Ozai Society."

"You mean that group that helped Aunt Azula try to trick you into becoming a more ruthless Fire Lord?"

"Exactly."

"So, Takeo pretty much blew his second chance."

"Yes. And he's refused to stand down and answer the charges against him. He's holed up in a... border fort, with some troops who have decided to join him and the New Ozai traitors."

"Then you have to capture them?"

Zuko closed his eyes. "I wish it hadn't come to this, but he's left me no choice."

Izumi frowned. "...Is this why Mom was always meeting with the Generals and Admirals in the Throne Room?"

Zuko nodded. "We've been preparing an attack to storm Takeo's fort and capture him."

"Why did it take so long? And why is no one talking about this in the newspapers?"

Zuko hesitated again. He could tell her _part_ of the reason, at least. "Because... I've been hesitating. I know if I leave Takeo alone, he'll just keep raiding passing ships and protecting traitors. But if I attack him directly, many of our people will call _me_ a traitor for attacking a general I've already pardoned. Your Mom thinks we should capture Takeo as quietly as possible, then reveal his latest crimes to the Fire Nation."

"But why not reveal the crimes first?" Izumi pressed. "Takeo's the one who did wrong, not you. You already gave him a second chance-"

"I know. But as Fire Lord, you always have to remember the different ways people will think about your actions. When I announced a curfew during the _Kemurikage_ crisis, before we knew we were fighting Azula, many of the people protested and rioted against my troops. The Capital was thrown into chaos. If I announce my intention to capture Takeo beforehand to the people, only to sacrifice soldiers' lives and _fail_ to capture him, the Royal Family could lose much of its' support. People will say we're too ruthless or incompetent to rule." Zuko put his hand on Izumi's shoulder. "The elections in the Southern Water Tribe have shown the world that leaders don't have to be chosen by blood right, and I think that's fair, even though I _do_ rule by blood right. People should be able to rise in the world based on what they can do themselves, not who they were born to. But our family is still able to do a great deal of good for both the Fire Nation and the world, and the best way for us to do so _now_ is through the throne. The tricky part is always showing that we're worthy of it."

Izumi raised an eyebrow. "Now you sound kinda like Granduncle Iroh."

"Who do you think taught me almost everything I know?" Zuko smiled. He realized he had sidestepped the question of why Takeo's capture was being kept secret from the Avatar. But before he could continue, Izumi's eyes widened and she raced to the front compartment of the airship. "We're here!"

Sure enough, a mountainous island- shrouded in a thick layer of green vegetation and silver mist- was visible on the horizon. Zuko gestured to the pilot. "Land on the coastal cliffs, then bring out our Komodo rhinos. Izumi and I will continue to the Sun Warriors' city alone."

* * *

An hour into the jungle, there was still no sign of the city. Zuko began to wonder if he'd taken the wrong route, when he noticed a charred heap of vines at the foot of a tree. Someone had cleared a patch here, recently.

As they stopped at a brook to water the Komodos and let them rest, Zuko sensed movement in the trees behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, then relaxed when he briefly caught sight of a shaved head with a long tail of black hair. As usual, the Sun Warriors had been watching them long before they landed.

Izumi suddenly froze, then conjured a fireball around her left hand. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Good eye, Izumi, but no need for bending. They know who we are, they've been expecting us."

Seven Sun Warriors, three of them carrying _Mak_ polearms, emerged from the forest. Their leader, a bronze-skinned woman in her late thirties with several gold rings in her nose and a serpent tattoo on her cheek, clasped her hands in the traditional greeting gesture. "Fire Lord Zuko. My father, High Priest Jayavar, invites you to join us for meditation before the Eternal Flame."

Zuko bowed. "I would be honored to accept, Chief Soma. However, that isn't the main reason we came. My daughter, Princess Izumi, is ready to face Ran and Shaw-"

"You know our laws." Soma's tone sharpened. "Outsiders are no longer allowed to face the Old Masters. You and the Avatar were the exception, due to the desperate circumstances. Sozin's Comet won't appear again for another eighty years-"

"I'm aware of that." Zuko suppressed the irritation in his voice. "But there are other dangers, ones Izumi may have to face one day. I want my daughter prepared-"

"As my father wanted _me_ prepared, before he stepped down as Chief. I understand that sentiment all too well." Soma's tawny eyes were unsympathetic. "But the Fire Nation's Royal line has made connections with the dragons before, and then turned on them."

"You mean my great-great-grandfather, Sozin?" Izumi chimed in. " _I'm_ not him. All I want is to learn."

 _Patience,_ Zuko wished she had added. You need to learn patience, Izumi... just as _I_ did, and still do.

But Izumi's voice remained calm as she continued. "I know my ancestors committed terrible crimes against the dragons, against your people, and against the rest of the world. But they never learned what Roku, Aang and my father and granduncle learned, when they came here. As long as the next Fire Lord is always taught to respect the Dragons' ways, they will not turn to using Firebending only for destruction, the way Sozin did. I'm not here in search of a weapon. I only ask to learn from Ran and Shaw, so that one day I can teach whoever follows me to protect the light of the flame, but beware of its' heat."

Zuko was astonished by her eloquence. She was younger than Aang had been, when he came here, but already knew how to win people over with words. And unlike Azula, she could do so without using fear. She was growing up so fast, he thought, a lump forming in his throat. And she was still determined to be guided by her principals. He silently wished she would always be able to do so, difficult though it might be.

Soma, though more skeptical, also seemed surprised by Izumi's words. She peered intently at the girl's face. "Not much of a Firebender, from the eyes... but then again, neither was your father when he came here." She narrowed her eyes. "Don't take this lightly, Princess of the Fire Nation. Ran and Shaw will show no mercy if they sense any corruption in your heart when you face them."

Izumi's eyes widened slightly, but she bowed her head and made no reply. A smirk touched the corner of Soma's mouth. "She's less arrogant than _you_ were at any rate, Fire Lord. Come, we'll escort you to the city." She shouldered her _M_ _ak_ and strode down the path. Her guards lined up on either side of the Fire Nation Royals, and they all fell into step behind her.

"Has Jayavar considered my suggestions about re-connecting with the outside world?" Zuko ventured cautiously. "My agents abroad hoped the Sun Warriors would seek connection with other nations, if not with us-"

"We have no interest in the outside world." Soma replied gruffly. "Our only goal is to preserve the creatures that your line nearly wiped out."

Zuko felt mildly irritated by that jab; after all, both he _and_ Iroh had helped keep the Dragons' existence hidden. "I think it would be easier for the rest of the world to respect and appreciate your culture if they were allowed to share in it. Of course, if you wish otherwise-"

"I do." Soma cut him off. "My father asked that you and the Avatar be given access to the temple. Jayavar is High Priest, and both of you have proved yourselves worthy; I will honor his request. Provided your daughter is also deemed worthy, I'll make a similar exception for her. But none of us have forgotten how Sozin's desire to 'share' cultures with the rest of the world brought both the Airbenders and the dragons to extinction. And until the Old Masters tell us otherwise, we will keep our borders closed."

Zuko shrugged, defeated. Long after his coronation, he still honored his promise to the Sun Warriors to leave their civilization a secret from the rest of the world; it was the least he could do to pay back his debt to them. However, he and Aang each made occasional pilgrimages to Phleung Wōat, the Warriors' temple complex; it was there that his uncle had been able to enter the Spirit World.

Though the Sun Warriors refused to interact with the rest of the world, they no longer concealed their city beneath foliage and booby-trapped ruins. As Zuko turned a corner, and brushed aside a vine, he saw the statue at the peak of Phleung Wōat glinting in the distance. Izumi's eyes were fixed on the great step-pyramid in wonder, he noted. The Sun Warriors' settlement was far smaller than places like the Fire Nation Capital or Omashu, but its' architecture was still something to behold.

As they descended into the valley enclosing the city, Izumi glanced at a massive, double-peaked mountain beyond it. "Is that where they are? Ran and Shaw?"

Soma gave Izumi a withering look and stepped ahead, not bothering to reply. Zuko winced. _Patience_ , he thought, and squeezed his daughter's hand encouragingly. "You'll see, soon enough. First, we need to meet with Jayavar."

Firebending was used instead of technology for many everyday tasks here, Zuko noted. Farmers cleared precise patches of land for crops by burning away undergrowth, then absorbed the flames to prevent them from spreading further. Families cooked by hand, burned trash and refuse rather than letting it pile up, depositing the ash into their fields- already enriched by volcanic soil.

Izumi's eyes flicked from side to side, taking everything in with wonder. "So many Firebenders! Have they all learned from the Dragons?"

"Most of them. It depends on the environment you're raised in. The more the environment is aligned with the Spirit World, the more people are born with bending, regardless of whether their parents can bend...though, of course their bloodline has _some_ influence."

"So that's why Avatar Aang told me that _all_ the Air Nomads could Airbend. They've always been the most spiritual of the Four Nations." She looked forlorn. "So why is my bending so weak? Iroh's been my only teacher, and he's actually _visited_ the Spirit World, plus he's learned from the Dragons too!"

Soma glanced back. "You've only ever learned from General Iroh, eh? I was just starting to walk when he came to meet Ran and Shaw."

Izumi's eyes widened. "What... what was it like? He's never spoken of it with me..."

The corners of Soma's rigid mouth relaxed into a slight smile as they passed through the marketplace. "He didn't lose his flame before performing the Dancing Dragon, the way your father and Avatar Aang did. But there was one moment in step six where he stumbled. He would've lost his flame, too- but then Ran extended her tail, and helped him keep his balance."

"She _helped_ him?" Izumi stared at Soma in amazement.

"The Masters see into your soul, Princess of the Fire Nation. The dance is a necessary formality, but it's not what they make their decision on. Ran knew that Iroh was worthy, he'd just lost his way after the death of his son. She knew he would find it again, with a little nudge."

* * *

They reached the foot of Phleung Wōat, and began their climb up its' three hundred steps. Glancing back, Zuko noticed more and more of the townspeople were gathering at the pyramids' base; children were whispering and gesturing at him and Izumi. We probably look overdressed, he thought with amusement.

As they reached the summit of the pyramid, a hot gust of wind struck Zuko in the face. Seven Sun Priests, their faces tattooed with crimson designs, were seated cross-legged around a huge, basalt dragon sculpture. At a teardrop-shaped fissure between its' claws, the Eternal Flame glowed steadily.

The stockiest of the priests, an old man with a short beard and a high golden collar around his neck, rose and approached. "Zuko. You are always welcome here."

Zuko clasped his hand. "I apologize for the intrusion, Jayavar. I know you told me-"

"That I'd have to imprison you here forever if you told anyone about us?" Jayavar chuckled. "I _told_ you I was kidding. I knew you would keep our secrets."

"I'm afraid there is one other I would like to... let in on that secret." Zuko gestured to Izumi, who stepped forward and bowed. He would let her speak for herself.

Jayavar smiled. "Princess Izumi, welcome to Phleung Wōat."

"Thank you, High Priest Jayavar. I am honored to be here." Izumi kept her head bent. "I... come to humbly ask if I can meet with Ran and Shaw. My only Firebending teacher so far has been Iroh, who was taught by the Dragons. Now I ask if I can face them myself."

The High Priest's smile faded, but unlike Soma he looked more thoughtful than hostile. "... It is not up to _us_ to decide if you can meet them. Ran and Shaw do not belong to the Sun Warriors; if anything, we owe far more to _them_ , for they continue to teach and protect us. They gave the first Firebenders the ability-"

"I thought it was Avatar Wan who was the first Firebender?" Izumi interrupted.

Soma glared at her, but Jayavar smiled indulgently. "Technically, you are right. The ability to _conjure_ fire was given to the early tribes of the Fire Nation by the Lion Turtles, but Avatar Wan- and shortly after, the Sun Warriors- became the first to _bend_ and manipulate the Element, after watching the dragons. As more and more of the tribes became dominated by warlords who fought each other, the Sun Warriors kept out of the conflict, using their alliance with the dragons to protect themselves. One day, one of the warlords came to our shores and begged the Masters to teach him true Firebending. He promised he would use what he learned to create a better balance among the Fire Tribes, and ultimately he unified them into the Fire Nation and became the first Fire Lord. In gratitude to us, he declared our island sacred and forbade outsiders to go there or disturb the dragons. But, later..."

"Sozin became Fire Lord." Izumi looked downcast.

"Exactly. Over hundreds of years, Firebenders developed their own bending techniques, while most of the original forms- including the Dragon Dance- were almost completely forgotten. Sozin knew that dragons had Firebending, but he only saw them as another challenge for him to overcome. Unlike his old friend Avatar Roku, who came here to learn and befriended one of the dragons, Sozin tamed _his_ dragon through cruelty. After Roku's death, Sozin began the tradition of hunting dragons for sport, and they became almost extinct. The Sun Warriors tried to protect the dragons, but many of us were killed. So we went into hiding, to protect the last two Masters: Ran and Shaw. And so it remained, until Iroh came, and later your father and the Avatar." Jayavar gave Izumi a grave look. "Whether you can go _to_ the Masters is not the question; it is whether they are willing to share their secrets with you. But if Iroh has been your only teacher, I'm sure he's taught you what you need to know... and the secret you will have to bear, if the Masters decide you are worthy."

"I've known about Ran and Shaw since I first started learning to Firebend." Izumi replied, a little curtly. "I've never told _anyone_."

"For which we are _eternally_ grateful." Soma muttered sarcastically. Zuko shot a glare at her.

"Very well. Then your journey begins." Jayavar made a sweeping gesture with his right hand. A thin tongue of flame extended from the fissure and leaped into his palm. He offered it to Izumi. For a moment, she looked startled; everything had begun so quickly. Then she took a deep breath and accepted the flame.

"Make your way to the the top of Dragon's Peak, alone, but don't let your flame go out. The Masters will judge your heart, your soul, and your ancestry. If you are worthy, they will teach you. If they deem you a danger, they will destroy you on the spot." Jayavar's voice sounded less harsh than Soma's, but Zuko still winced at the reference to ancestry. At least the High Priest added, reassuringly. "Though of course, they consider a Firebender's _choices_ more important than their bloodline."

Izumi bowed over the flame, then turned and walked down the steps of the temple. Resisting the urge to follow her, Zuko unclasped the headdpiece from his topknot and let his hair fall past his shoulders. He removed his cloak and sank into a lotus position opposite the Sun Priests.

"What troubles your soul, Fire Lord Zuko?" The High Priest seated himself at Zuko's left side.

Zuko closed his eyes. "... I fear for my daughter's safety. I fear for the security of all four Nations, as long as General Takeo goes unpunished. And... I fear, selfishly, that my dishonesty may destroy my friendship with the Avatar."

"Why do you fear for Izumi's safety?"

"I know it's irrational of me to worry about her. She's much wiser than I was at her age, and much kinder than either of her parents. She's only beginning her education, but she already knows how to charm people. I couldn't be more proud of her, but... watching her face Ran and Shaw alone, knowing I can't stand beside her as I did with Aang, it makes me want to leap up and tear through the jungle after her, stand in her place."

"If Izumi is pure of heart, the Masters will see that, Zuko." Jayavar sounded mildly amused. "Trust me, I felt the same way when Soma faced them. I may not be able to see Izumi's soul as Ran and Shaw can, but her desire to learn balance is as strong as yours and Aang's was. The Masters will judge her worthy, I'm sure of it. Why do you fear for the four Nations' security?"

Zuko took a deep breath; this question was far more complicated to answer. "There are many officers in my military who committed terrible crimes, during the Hundred Year War. Some of them are still alive, and still called war heroes by many of our people. It's a question of who to punish, and how severely. On one hand, of course many people in the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes were angry. The ones who murdered their families, burned their homes and enslaved their countries were still walking around, free as birds. On the other hand, in at least _some_ of these soldiers' cases, they were acting on Azulon or Ozai's direct orders. To disobey the will of the Fire Lord was treason, punishable by death; so how responsible can those soldiers be held? I punished unnecessary cruelty where I found it, but I can't see into the soldiers' souls; I couldn't always tell whether they hated, enjoyed or didn't care about their actions."

Jayavar shrugged. "Now you see why Soma and I don't want to engage with the rest of the world. Too many complications would be thrown at us at once."

Zuko smiled sadly. "Fair enough. As the calls for punishment _and_ the calls for pardons grew over the first decade of my reign, I asked Aang for his advice- even though I knew it would be biased, since it was my great-grandfather who slaughtered Aang's people. The Avatar is a bridge between the nations, but they're also just a human being in the end, for all their power. Aang may be my friend, and I respect his commitment to keeping peace across the world, but he doesn't rule the Fire Nation. He and Katara urged me to bring justice by putting many of my officers under a special tribunal, with representatives from the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom. I wanted peace between the nations, and I saw that this would help that peace, but I also knew it wouldn't be considered a fair trial by my own subjects. I knew our people would resent me for handing our former 'war heroes' over to foreign judges with revenge on their minds."

"So, what did you do?"

"I negotiated with the Earth King and the Water Tribe Chieftains, again with Aang and Katara's assistance. I agreed to have the accused officers stand trial, with witnesses from all three remaining nations, but the trials had to be held in the Fire Nation, with at least one Fire Nation representative among the judges. I pardoned those who were more than seventy years old, senile, or crippled by injury."

"Takeo was in his late fifties when the calls for punishment grew, but crippled by a leg wound, which his supporters used as an excuse. At first I was eager to bring him to trial. Takeo was always quick to crack down on civilians when resistance sprang up, and he did terrible things to the people of the Western Earth Kingdom, where Republic City now stands; I saw some of his work firsthand when I was in exile. But as I was preparing to arrest him, I received petitions from many of my own troops. Not just officers, but common foot soldiers who had fought alongside him. It wasn't just that Takeo was a great general- which he _was_ , notwithstanding his crimes. It was the way he _inspired_ his troops. He was always leading charges personally, visiting the wounded after a battle, sending personal messages of condolence to the families of the dead, mingling with his troops to cheer them up after a defeat. Even defeated Earth Kingdom soldiers spoke of him with respect, at the very least; Takeo might have been cruel towards civilians, but he always kept his code of honor with soldiers, whichever side they were on. That was when I realized _why_ Ozai had relieved him of his command, near the end of the war: he was afraid that Takeo would overshadow him. Takeo always resented my father for demoting him, and I thought I could find common ground with him over that. I believed that, in spite of Takeo's past crimes, he might redeem himself through some kind of civil service under me."

Zuko sighed. "I... I closed my eyes to his past atrocities, until there was no way to ignore it. After we discovered he'd been sheltering the New Ozai Society for years, I knew I'd been deluding myself. Takeo's empathy for his troops was just a way of keeping political support- and now that I've finally ordered him brought to trial, he's persuaded them to mutiny, to use them as a human shield against me. Takeo likes to take calculated risks, because they force his enemies to do the same. If I do nothing, I've allowed one of my commanders to get away with treason, and left various trade routes open to pirate attacks. If I _do_ attack, many of my people will claim I'm cruel for oppressing former war heroes- and I'm condemning some of my own troops to death in a battle I don't want to fight. But I can live with _that_. Plans have been laid to storm Omori and capture Takeo within the next week. I gave the garrison a final offer of mercy if they turn Takeo over or surrender, and Mai's been urging me to prepare an attack since day one." He smiled wryly. "She was right, I just kept hesitating."

"And what made you hesitate?"

Zuko inhaled deeply through his nose. This was the question that tormented him the most. "My dishonesty to Aang, and to the rest of the world. When the trials began, I didn't know Takeo was double-crossing me, and I pardoned him on the grounds that he was crippled and wouldn't survive in a foreign prison. I assured the other world leaders and my friends that Takeo would be dismissed from military service, and any civil office he held would be under my close supervision." He plucked nervously at his beard. "And I lied. Mai and I stripped Takeo of his formal rank, but we left him in charge of Fort Omori, in command of a garrison of similarly 'decommissioned' troops and officers. We even let them retain their outdated uniforms."

"Fort Omori was a lie as well. I assured Aang _years_ ago, that all Fire Nation structures built on foreign soil would be torn down, _if_ the local population objected. Of course, the Air Temple lands were uninhabited since the genocide; Aang never went back to any of them except the Southern Temple, after he settled down with Katara and their children. I told myself it seemed unnecessary to destroy Omori, especially since it was midway between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. I knew the Earth King and the Water Tribe chieftains both wanted to keep the peace with me, but I remembered how rebels from the Southern Water Tribe had tried to take revenge on Fire Nationals, during the building of Republic City. I told myself that leaving Omori intact was just to give the Fire Nation extra border protection. And now, it's given my enemy a stronger position." He closed his eyes. "If I tell Aang about Omori, he'll be furious, and rightly so. My justification for sparing Takeo _and_ Omori was based on a feeble technicality, and on my own selfishness and paranoia. To Aang and Katara, this will be a personal betrayal. It will do terrible damage to the friendships I'm trying to build with the other nations. And I _do_ have to tell everyone, before someone else finds out... I just haven't found the words to explain it."

"Explanations are not always needed, Zuko." The High Priest replied, after a pause. "Too often, they are seen as justifications or excuses for mistakes. Balance is what is needed. The balance may not occur exactly when you expect it to, but it will come in the end. Whenever the world becomes too chaotic and destructive, or one faction dominates too strongly, other forces come into play, to restore equilibrium. When Sozin's comet came, the White Lotus chose to reveal themselves and even the odds against the Fire Nation's army. When the Avatar found himself unwilling to kill the Fire Lord, even after he unlocked the Avatar State and overwhelmed him, the Lion-Turtle gave him an alternative, so that the crown could pass safely to you. Even this 'United Republic' that you built with your friends... it was created to balance the different desires of people in the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom and the colonies, and to fill the vacuum left by the Air Nomads' demise."

Zuko liked the old man's optimism, but as was often the case with his uncle, he couldn't understand most of it. As the ruler of a powerful nation that was spearheading the integration of a divisive world, he could not afford to seek enlightenment. It was something that had to be found, individually; it could not be forced on people by law or preaching.

"Envision the Eternal Flame, Zuko. Feel it constantly reaching out, seeking fuel, yet always falling back to its' boundaries when it finds none. It pushes and pulls, just like the tides under Tui and La. It _balances_ , rather than creating or destroying. As long as we respect it, it will remain for all Eternity, as it is meant to."

Zuko closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He forced away his nightmares about Aang, his worries over the Takeo crisis, his fear for Izumi... that last one was nearly impossible to let go of. But the gentle waves of heat from the Eternal Flame were a comfort to him, giving him something to focus on. Rather than concentrating the energy into his stomach as he would when bending, he let it waft through his limbs and torso, sweeping up the tensions of his body. Then he exhaled slowly through his mouth, releasing them.

"I don't know the Avatar as well as you do," Jayavar continued. "But the philosophy of the Air Nomads has always advocated forgiveness. Aang forgave you for everything you did during the Hundred Year War, for your betrayal in Ba Sing Se-"

"But that was before he and I were _friends_." Zuko protested.

"And as your friend _now_ , he will know your remorse is genuine. Forgiveness never comes when you _want_ it to; you should know that."

Zuko winced. "Only too well."

"Reach back for the Eternal Flame, Zuko. Balance, forgiveness, truth... of these things, the _if_ is not in question. It is merely the _when_."

Zuko inhaled again, exhaled, and opened his eyes. "I can bear that. As long as Izumi doesn't suffer for my mistakes."

Jayavar shook his large head ruefully. "When have children not had to suffer for their parents' mistakes, Zuko? Look at you, look at both your sisters." Zuko winced again. "But from trials and suffering can come knowledge. Izumi is like you; her struggles make her stronger. Speaking of which...We should be hearing results at any moment."

He rose, and Zuko and the others followed his example. Jayavar gestured, and one of his acolytes struck a bronze gong. As its' notes reverberated across the jungle, they were joined by the far-off sound of drums. Zuko craned his neck around to look. Small balls of flame, held by the Sun Warriors, flickered into life all along the path that lead to Dragons' Peak. At the mountain's split summit, the two caves were joined by a vast staircase. Between them, a tiny figure stood, illuminated by the fleck of light in her hands.

All Zuko's anxieties came back to him in a rush. If anything happened to Izumi now, he would raze the Dragon's Peak to the ground, promises and consequences be damned...

And then, there was a terrible rumbling sound from inside the mountain, a rising roar that shook the ground as far away as Phleung Wōat. Zuko started towards the steps of the temple.

Soma stepped into his path, brandishing her _Mak_. "Fire Lord-"

"I have no intention of interfering." Zuko cut her off, knowing that too might turn into a lie. "But I need to witness this."

* * *

Two gigantic, snakelike shapes erupted from the caves, whipping inches past Izumi's head in a blur of armored blue and red scales. Izumi's breath caught in her throat as she swung her head from side to side, trying to take in both creatures at the same time. The dark feelers trailing from their snouts, the gleam of their white tusks, the rolling golden eyes bigger than her head! They were a hundred times more beautiful and terrible than she had imagined, and she felt fear grip her as her flame flickered weakly in the breeze of their wings and coils. How could she possibly?...

She noticed that, although the dragons were still looping around her again and again, the blue one had fixed its' eyes on her. A rumble came from its' throat. This was Ran, the female... the one who had helped her uncle, Iroh, when he had nearly failed the Dance in this same place.

Iroh, the one who had told her stories to make her laugh since she was a toddler, who drilled her harder than ever whenever she wanted to quit Firebending, who never gave up on her. There was no way she was going to give up now. She cast her mind back to the Dragon Dance, the first Firebending form she had learned. Of course, she could create more flame if she really needed to, but she felt it would be better to keep drawing it from the Eternal Flame. She would just have to be careful not to use it all in one burst.

She made the first step, turning on her right ankle and extending her left arm to release a small burst of flame from her sphere. To her surprise, Shaw angled his neck and forelimbs to match her movement. She took the next step, ducking low and stretching her other leg to create a shield. This time, Ran mimicked her.

As Izumi went through the Dance step by step, she sensed the Dragons had stopped circling; they were hovering on either side of the staircase, waiting for her to make the next move so that they could follow. Was this how it had happened for Dad and Uncle Aang?

She made her movements bolder, feeding more energy into the Eternal Flame as she continued the Dance. A tongue of flame accidentally brushed Ran's blue scales, and her huge eye flashed disapprovingly. Izumi hastily contracted her flame-sphere, careful not to let it go out, and continued. Shaw gave a rumble of approval as he followed her next movement, the tip of his tail clipping her lightly on the shin. Izumi felt herself relaxing more as she continued through the movements that she had memorized since she was five. The Dragons were terrifying, yes, but they were simply dancing along with her, not barking out corrections the way Iroh did.

All too soon, she reached the final step. Izumi bent her knees slightly and thrust both fists into the air, putting all her energy into the final strike. A pillar of amber flame shot upwards from her hands, piercing through the fog. She held the pose, but relaxed her fingers; only a little wisp of the Eternal Flame was left in her palms. The Dragons were hovering on either side of her again, their heads level with the top of the staircase. What were they waiting for? Had she forgotten a step?

Then Ran and Shaw opened their jaws suddenly, and a double inferno came rushing out at her. From somewhere nearby she heard her Dad shout in alarm, and then the _whoosh!_ of the dragonfire cut off all other sounds. Terrified, Izumi let go of her flame and raised her hands to protect her face, even though she knew it was pointless.

A second later, she realized, though the roar of the fire still came from every direction, she wasn't being burned at all. She lowered her arms cautiously.

The whirlwind swirled around her steadily, its' fire the same amber shade as the Eternal Flame. The Dragons had to have lit that flame originally, she realized. She made out Ran and Shaw's outlines just beyond; they were once again circling through the air, but angling their bodies in different shapes than before. With each movement, the flames around her were streaked with blue, purple, orange, gold... too many shades for her to count. Unconsciously, Izumi reached out for a tongue of sapphire-blue flame swirling past her shoulder. Instead of burning her, it broke away from the whirlwind and circled loosely around her forearm, taking the shape of a dragon. It looped once over her shoulder, then dived back into the whirlwind, dissipating.

This was Firebending like she had never seen before. All those colors... and such perfect control. Dragonfire burned much hotter than anything a human Firebender could hope to create, but the whirlwind around her felt no warmer than her Dad's throne room. If the dragons allowed that heat to expand, even for a moment... She shivered, then shook her head. If Ran and Shaw had seen her as unworthy, they would have just torched her instead of giving her glimpse of their power.

She would never be able to equal that kind of perfect control over the heat. No human could: not her father, her granduncle, not even her legendary (and supposedly crazy) aunt. But she would try anyway. Fire was life, and life was always a balance of creation and destruction.

Izumi closed her left hand into a fist, inhaled slowly, then snapped her fingers open. A bright yellow, almost white flame, danced around her hand like a wreath. She knelt and bowed her head, keeping her offering upraised. Unlike her previous bending, the flame did not expand or contract as she moved; it burned steadily. The Dragons rumbled in approval, and the dragonfire around her faded away. Ran and Shaw circled around her twice more, then disappeared back into their caves.

Izumi stood and let her hands drop, extinguishing her flame. Peering down the mountain steps, she saw the Sun Warriors gathered at its' base. Climbing towards her were Soma, Jayavar and her Dad. Neither of the Sun Warrior leaders were smiling, but Soma caught her eye and nodded in approval. Izumi felt a surge of excitement. She had done it.

Then she caught the look on her father's face: a mix of relief, and pride. Tears were welling in Zuko's undamaged eye, unchecked. Her frustration at her Dad for never dueling her, for staying away for a year, faded. He had spoken to her as an adult all the way here, he had told Soma and Jayavar she was ready no matter how much they warned him, he had let her speak for herself... and he had been watching, when she faced the Dragons.

He opened his arms as he approached her, and she ran into them. He lifted her off her feet, hugging her so hard she could barely breathe.

When Zuko finally spoke, his voice was tight in his throat. "What you did here today... I never dreamed I would be here to see this. What you've accomplished, Izumi, and what you'll be able to do with it in the future... I can't _begin_ to tell you how proud I am of you."

* * *

Two days later, when the airship touched down on a strip inside the palace grounds, Zuko knew something was wrong. Iroh and Mai should have been the ones to greet them, but instead Admiral Jee was standing at the gates, his brow furrowed in concern. He bowed hastily as Zuko and Izumi approached. "Forgive me, Lord Zuko, but Lady Mai asked that you be brought straight to the throne room. Apparently there has been some... loss of communication around Omori."

Izumi perked up. Zuko glanced down at her ruefully. " _Later_." He murmured, patting her shoulder. "I promise, I _will_ discuss this with you later. Go challenge Kiyi to a duel for me, okay?"

Izumi looked annoyed, but the mention of a rematch with her aunt caught her interest, and she sped off towards the living quarters. Zuko turned to Jee. "'Loss of communication'?"

"That's putting it delicately, Fire Lord. Two of the Kiyoshi Warriors disappeared- a novice named Jeonsa, and Ty Lee. They told the others they were investigating information from a scout they captured- something about Takeo having a hidden escape route from Omori. But they failed to return to the Kiyoshi camp after the appointed time. We evacuated the rest of the Kiyoshi, of course... but no one's heard from Ty Lee or Jeonsa since."

Zuko slapped his hand to his forehead. " _Spirits_. Why does it always have to be Ty Lee?" He ran his fingers over his eyes. "How is Mai taking this news?"

Jee grimaced. "Not well. She's blaming herself for having authorized the reconnaissance in the first place."

Zuko winced as they passed down the corridor leading to the throne room. He was usually the worrier when it came to decisions; Mai simply analyzed them calmly and drew up her expectations of what would happen, and how to react. Besides, espionage work was nothing new to her; she had worked as a spy during Azula's conquest of Ba Sing Se, and during the beginning of Zuko's reign. But there were certain things that could catch her off guard, and her sometimes-irritating best friend was one of them.

The Throne Room was barely lit when they entered, but Zuko could make out Mai's silhouette standing on the edge of the dais, her back turned to him. As he approached and tossed a flame into the trench below, he saw several of her _shuriken_ embedded in the map on the table- all clustered around the dot marked _Omori_. He noticed another _shuriken_ rotating between her fingers and stepped back hastily.

"Er... looks like you hit the target the first time?"

Mai didn't turn around. "This isn't a laughing matter. Ty Lee is gone, Spirits knows where, and we have no idea where Takeo's exit from Omori is. And you can be sure he'll be on-guard against any future infiltration."

Zuko shook his head. "You shouldn't have sent the Kiyoshi on an infiltration mission behind my back. If I'd known, I would've left the Yuyan Archers behind, they could have followed her into the fortress and helped her-"

Mai spun around, her eyes flashing dangerously. "I _specifically_ told her to observe only and nothing more. Infiltration was something I would only have discussed with you, and you know it. But Ty Lee follows her own initiative sometimes; at least _someone_ did!"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Zuko heard anger building in his voice; the flames in the trench flickered ominously. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jee quietly edging out of the room. "In case you've forgotten, this is one of the best fortresses our people ever built, and I'm about to tell our troops that some of them may lose their lives in order for us to take it back!"

"Don't you throw that at me! Why do you think I was in favor of infiltration?! The less precise our information is, the more lives _will_ be lost!" Mai swung her arm violently to the left, and her _shuriken_ whizzed across the room. It impaled a silk hanging depicting a previous Fire Lord, right through the eye. "We're _all_ making a huge sacrifice to deal with your treacherous warlord, Zuko, but none more than Ty Lee! She's the reason I survived, after I helped you escape the Boiling Rock." Her expression was still angry, but her voice was shaking slightly. "She chose me over Azula, and I may have sent her to her death... or worse. If Takeo got his hands on her or her pupil, alive..."

Zuko felt his stomach twist as he imagined _that_ scenario. He remembered hearing how Ty Lee had chi-blocked Azula, when his sister had been about to kill Mai for betraying her. Ty Lee sometimes showed poor judgement, but no one could fault her loyalty. And Mai was beating herself up over that loyalty now. He came forward and wrapped his arms around her thin frame. "Ty Lee's a lot smarter than she was at fourteen, Mai. We all are. She went against your orders because she trusted her own initiative, like you said. If Takeo had her or Jeonsa, he'd make sure we knew. He's not subtle enough to hide a hostage from us. Is Suki on her way?"

Mai relaxed just a fraction and nodded. "Ty Lee's Kiyoshi team sent a hawk before we evacuated them. Suki's on the next ship to the Capital; she wants to lead the search party personally. How was Izumi's visit to the Dragons?"

"It went even better than mine and Aang's. You should have been there to see her."

Mai managed a small smile. "No, thanks. There are interests she and I have in common, but Firebending with dragons isn't one of them. Shoot the fire _at_ me, and there's entertainment."

Zuko grinned and kissed her forehead. "So you _enjoyed_ that time I accidentally burned your bangs off?"

"It was... memorable. Don't read too much into it." Mai detached herself gently from his embrace. "Besides, I knew Izumi could handle herself. She's always been able to."

"You're right. I guess _I_ just needed a reminder, after being away for a year. She charmed the Dragons _and_ Jayavar; she even made Soma soften, for a moment-"

The doors suddenly burst open, and Tomoru rushed into the throne room. Mai's younger brother by thirteen years, Tomoru served as their minister of intelligence. However, his usually rosy face was ashen as he came around the fire-trench.

"Tom-Tom?" Mai frowned. "What's wrong?"

Tomoru's eyes flicked back and forth from her to Zuko, fearfully- not of their reaction, but of the news he was carrying. "Something terrible happened-"

"We know about Ty Lee's disappearance already." Zuko replied impatiently.

"That's not it." Tomoru wiped sweat from his brow. "The attacks weren't at Omori-"

" _Attacks?_ " Zuko turned around sharply. "What attacks?"

"First, there was an attempt to abduct our father from the compound where you've been holding him, yesterday." Tomoru's eyes swiveled back to Mai, whose expression was wooden. "I warned our Uncle in time, and he was able to stop it, but a few of the Imperial Firebenders were hurt pretty bad. We captured both the attackers, but they took poison before we could question them. They were both ex-Army officers, and one of them had a _Kirin_ tattoo- the same as Takeo's personal standard. My guess is, they were sent by his informant in the High Command- the one whose identity we still haven't learned."

Zuko put his hand on Tomoru's shoulder. "...You said 'attacks', Tom. What else happened?"

Tomoru swallowed. "A group of Earthbenders appeared out of nowhere, at Hira'a, and... and flattened every building. Several people were injured, two were killed."

Zuko stepped back sharply, too stunned to speak. Earthbenders attacking unprovoked, at the quiet town where his mother and stepfather were living?

Mai came to her senses quicker. "Have you responded?"

Tomoru nodded. "I borrowed your personal seal and ordered supplies and repair crews sent by airship already."

Zuko finally found his voice. "My parents, are they...?"

Tomoru shook his head vigorously. "They weren't among the dead. Ikem is hurt pretty bad, though; he has several broken ribs. Ursa wants to take him to Republic City, to see Katara."

"Of course." Mai nodded. "I'll write to her. What were the Earthbenders wearing?"

"The only Home Guardswoman in Hira'a said they wore standard issue, Earth Kingdom Army uniforms. But their hat-brims and pauldrons were dark green, not yellow, and they had studs on their gauntlets."

"Omashu." Mai grimaced. "Just when I thought I'd finished with that awful place, it comes back to bite us. That new King must be more vengeful than we thought."

Zuko frowned. "King Ariq is hotheaded, but he's not foolish enough to attack the Fire Nation unprovoked. He knows that would drag Omashu into a confrontation with Ba Sing Se, the Fire Nation, Aang, or all three."

"Maybe Ariq thinks he doesn't need to fear the Avatar, since Aang's more and more tied to his responsibilities in the United Republic." Tomoru shrugged. "As for the Earth King, Kuei's a passive man, but he's more likely to side with his own vassal in a dispute with the Fire Nation, especially after that confrontation you had with him at Yu Dao, years ago. Unless we presented him with proof... which we don't have, because those Earthbenders vanished as quickly as they came."

Zuko climbed the dais, sat down on his throne and took a deep breath. "...Send in Commander Atsuro and General On Ji. And, Tom... does Kiyi know about the Hira'a attack?"

"Not yet."

"Tell her straight away. She'll want to be with our parents, but I want her and Izumi kept safe until this whole mess is straightened out. Take them to the Caldera Cavern; if there's an attack on the Capital, no Earthbenders will be able to reach them there."

Tomoru bowed and rushed out. Moments later, the Air Fleet Commander, Atsuro, entered, followed by On Ji, the Commander of the Home Guard. They both prostrated themselves before the dais.

"I have tasks for both of you." Zuko fought to control the anger in his voice, but the rising flames in the trench gave it away. "Commander Atsuro, you are to detach five of your airships from the siege of Omori and send them to Omashu. Have them patrol just outside its' borders, and send a message to King Ariq. I'm issuing complaints to King Kuei _and_ the Avatar over the aggressive actions of Omashu's soldiers. I won't attack unprovoked, but I also refuse to negotiate with Ariq until I have the Earth King's reply and my investigations are complete. If there are any more attacks on Fire Nation soil or ships in that time, I will view it as an act of war."

Atsuro looked startled as he stood. "Between the Fire Nation and _Omashu_ , or the Earth Kingdom as a whole?"

"Don't specify." Mai interrupted; she had moved silently to Zuko's side. "Let Ariq worry over that for a bit."

Atsuro bowed and strode out. Zuko turned to On Ji. "General On Ji, I'm entrusting you with protecting Hira'a, and joining Tomoru in investigating the attack further. Fortify all the roads leading in and out of the town, and make sure the civilians are safe and cared for. Arrange for Home Guard garrisons in all the other coastal towns; I don't want any more surprise attacks."

"Of course, Fire Lord." She saluted him and left.

Zuko stared into the blazing trench. "I just witnessed Izumi learn how to _balance_ the power of her Firebending... and now, I'm being forced into multiple confrontations, where the _only_ use for Firebending is destruction." He glanced at Mai. "I'm not letting my emotions run away from me, am I?"

"Maybe. But you've given Takeo a chance to come out of hiding and defend himself, and he scorned it. You're giving Ariq that same chance, now. If they push you up against the wall, it's only natural for you to come out fighting. At least you know where to draw the line." Mai squeezed his shoulder, then reached for a brush and ink. "Looks like we both have a few letters to write."

"I'll dictate mine to the scribe." Zuko stood up suddenly and started down the dais, gesturing to one of the Imperial Firebenders. "Send for my armor, and ready my airship. Mai, you have the throne."

"Where are you going?"

" I've been hesitating too long, over keeping the siege of Omori a secret. Let it come out; the world needs to know the truth about me, and the truth about Takeo. It's time to end this showdown- now."


	8. Chapter 6: Ba Sing Se, Spirit World

With a screech of stone on stone, the noon train pulled into the station on the edge of Ba Sing Se's Inner Wall. The guards hastily Earthbent waist-high barriers, funneling the people in and out of the cars as the usual rush of passengers flooded the platform. The transportation system was one of the few things in the city that ran smoothly, but even _it_ was segregated; citizens from the Lower Ring could not cross into the Middle or Upper Ring unless they had been invited or promoted, and had to carry letters of invitation. And so on.

The Earthbending-powered monorails simply could not keep up with the population, especially here, Xai Bau thought wearily. He didn't bother to wipe the dust from his blue-and-white robes as he disembarked and maneuvered his way through the crowd. Most of the White Lotuses stationed in the other two Rings acted like snobs among the downtrodden and poor, fearful of dirtying their clothes or hands unless violence broke out.

As the grizzled warrior strode out of the station, he closed his copper-colored eyes, using his other senses to take in the route home that he knew by heart. The smell of potsticker grease being emptied from a _wok_ into the gutter, the clink of a coin dropping in a beggar's cup. And... a variation in the usual routine. About thirty feet behind him, the regular vibration of light yet purposeful footsteps, keeping perfect pace with his.

He stopped for a moment. Everything else around him kept moving... except the footsteps behind. Rather than turning to confront his shadow, Xai Bau opened his eyes and resumed his walk. The footsteps dropped beyond the range of his seismic sense for a moment, but then he heard quickened breathing from a rooftop to his left; the scrape of shoes, then the faint rattling of shingles as a body leaped and scrambled from one building to the next. Quick and agile, but overconfident. Probably only planning to rob him, but most thieves simply tried picking his pockets; occasionally, he let them get away with it, given their circumstances. This kind of stalking was a more calculated attack, which hinted at a different motive. Revenge, perhaps? Xai Bau didn't have any personal enemies he could think of, but there were plenty of people with reason to dislike his Order. For all he knew, the Council of Five were fed up with his constant complaints against their regime.

* * *

As he moved off the main street and approached the inn where he was staying, a different set of footsteps suddenly stopped around the corner. Xai Bau paused, then deliberately turned his back on the rooftop across from the inn's entrance, making himself a target. In the same movement, his arm shifted under his cloak, drawing a hollow, double-tipped baton from his belt.

There was a _thump,_ and the scrape of straw sandals in the dust as one of the attackers dropped from the roof, made a rolling landing in the street, and rushed him. Xai Bau extended the collapsible steel handle of his baton and swung it outward at shoulder level as he whirled around. He struck the young man's elbow with a solid _thwock,_ causing him to drop his knife with a gasp of pain. Xai Bau snagged the blade from the air before it could hit the ground and spun again, hurling it at a second attacker who had come at him from around the corner. The blade snagged the edge of the youth's cowl and pinned it to a doorpost, paralyzing them for a moment. The first attacker made a grab for the string of coins tucked into Xai Bau's belt, but the tip of the warrior's baton caught him solidly in the windpipe. Eyes watering and struggling to breathe, the teenager staggered back against the nearest wall, barely keeping his feet. Xai Bau frowned, confused. It seemed they _were_ simply trying to rob him, after all- but again, why the elaborate stalk-and-ambush? Unless robbery was intended as a disguise for murder.

The other attacker had escaped their paralysis by ripping off the hood, revealing a young woman with a scar running diagonally from her right jawline to the bridge of her nose. As Xai Bau advanced on her partner, she assumed a bending stance and thrust her arm forward in a spear-hand strike; a jagged furrow plowed across the ground toward Xai Bau's feet, stone projections following it. The warrior jumped back hastily, using his baton to deflect the wedges of stone and earth she hurled at him. He ducked back around the corner of the inn for a moment as a rock-shard grazed his cheek. Either he was getting old, or this Earthbender was more talented than the average; no one had managed to land a blow on him, let alone draw blood, in over a decade. Shouts were coming from all sides; the noise and vibration caused by the Earthbending was drawing bystanders. Best to end this quickly, before either civilians or police got involved.

He twisted a pair of metal rings on each end of the baton's handle, then stepped out from behind his cover. Ducking another stream of earth-and-stone projectiles, Xai Bau swung the baton at the woman's face, despite being out of reach. The outward half of the rod suddenly separated; it was linked to the other half internally by a narrow length of chain, turning it into a flail mid-swing. Caught off-guard, the Earthbender was struck directly in the jaw, knocking her backward. Before she could counterattack, Xai Bau tossed his flail away and closed the distance between them, his fingers finding the pressure point at the base of her neck. She slumped to the ground, unconscious immediately.

Instead of fleeing, her companion staggered over, clutching his arm and wheezing. "What... did you do to her?!"

"She'll be fine, except for a few bruises on the jaw." Xai Bau collapsed the chain back into the flail, twisted its' ends shut and slid it back into his belt. He pulled the woman's arm over his shoulder, hoisting her upright. "Follow me, before the police arrive." He nodded curtly to the innkeeper, who had appeared in the doorway. "Nothing to worry about, Jin; a simple misunderstanding. Would you please arrange a table for three and get me some medicinal herbs?"

Jin nodded and disappeared. She had been around for both the fall and the liberation of Ba Sing Se; a minor bending scuffle or the presence of the White Lotus did not faze her. Besides, she knew Xai Bau was a good customer and she never questioned his requests.

They followed her into the dining hall. There was no decoration, except a small bronze incense burner hanging over the serving counter. Like most people in the Lower Ring, Jin put everything she had into essential materials for her business; she had little left for anything else. Xai Bau set the woman down at the table with a tea-set on it and tapped her cheek lightly with his fingertips, trying to wake her. He gestured for the boy to sit with his other hand. "Pour tea for the three of us, Jin will bring food in a moment. Is this your sister?"

Wary but bewildered, the youth nodded as he obeyed. He was only about fifteen, his round features hollowed by lack of food. "I told her we shouldn't have gone after a White Lotus, but she said I have a lot to learn-"

"Damn right you do, boy. Should've listened to your gut; your survival instincts will do more for you than any training with _this_." Xai Bau stuck the knife point-first into the table. "And from what I've seen, you barely know how to use it. Rusty hilt, barely any edge on the blade. If you can't even keep your weapon in good condition, let alone pick my pocket, what made you think you were cut out to be an assassin?"

The boy puffed out his narrow chest, defiant. "I did what I had to do-"

"Only if you'd been acting as a _decoy_ , while your sister was pulling off the _real_ mission. What if I'd been another bender, or someone with a little less merciful attitude?" The White Lotus member shook his head in exasperation as he accepted the herbs and two wet cloths from Jin. He divided the herbs into two bundles, folded the cloths around them to make poultices, and passed one to the boy, holding the other against his sister's bruised jaw. "The White Lotus isn't made of amateurs, and you should know that."

The woman's eyes suddenly snapped open, but Jin grabbed her wrist as she raised her arm. "Bend even once, and I'll have the police on you before you can reach the door... _if_ you got past Xai Bau or me first."

The woman glared at her, but complied. Jin set a serving bowl of fried rice, shredded boarcupine meat and steamed vegetables on the table with plates and chopsticks, then walked away. Xai Bau gestured for the two youths to help themselves. "You want to explain why you were trying to kill me? Is this something personal to do with the White Lotus?"

Unlike her younger brother, who began wolfing down the food, the woman didn't break eye contact; she stared back at him defiantly. "Just making sure Yiwu has the survival skills he needs, if he's ever left alone. I figured I'd give him a challenge this time around."

"And giving him a scenario in which he would probably have to _kill_ his opponent was a wise option? After you've barely given him any training, by the look of it?" Xai Bau shook his head again. "I can believe you're desperate, half the people in the Lower Ring are. But you _had_ to have more of a motive for attacking me besides just petty theft." He reached out and held three fingers against her jugular vein. "What is your name?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Liu Tao, older sister of Liu Yiwu."

"Why were you trying to attack me?"

"We needed a decent haul. Our parents are long gone, and I don't make enough in private construction to pay the rent much longer. Yiwu knows how to pickpocket, but no one in our neighborhood has anything worth stealing; if they did, they'd have already been moved to the Middle Ring long ago. I figured if we mugged a White Lotus, we'd at least have enough to be off the streets for a while."

She was telling the truth as far as he could tell, but there was still a spark of hatred in her voice on the word "White Lotus." Murder might not have been the prime motive, but in Tao's mind it had probably been a second bird to take out with the same stone. Xai Bau released her and sat back. "So all you wanted was my purse? The Council of Five isn't having me followed?"

"The Council of Five can go fuck themselves." The young woman spat, picking up her cup. "They took our older brother two years ago, for his bending. They're not taking me, if I can help it- but if they do, I'm not leaving Yiwu without any survival skills."

"Then why target me? If you're smart enough to keep your Earthbending hidden from the police and the Army, you should be smart enough to know that White Lotus members usually aren't easy targets- and even if you somehow succeeded, the rest of the Order would come after you. You've got something against the White Lotus, and you're not exactly being subtle about it."

Tao looked sheepish for the first time, but her voice was still defiant. "...The White Lotus has only protected the Earth King and the people of the Upper and Middle Rings since the War ended, while the refugees and the peasants keep starving here in the Lower Ring-"

"You think _I_ don't know that?" Xai Bau rolled his eyes and took a sip of his tea. It was nowhere as good as what Iroh brewed at the Jade Dragon, but he was used to it. "I'm the only Order member who lives in the Lower Ring _because_ I'm disgusted with how most of the White Lotus toadies to the Council of Five's decisions-"

Tao snorted contemptuously. "Yeah, and a lot of good your 'disgust' does us. Look, I appreciate you giving _us_ a break, don't get me wrong, but what about the rest of the people that are struggling just to survive? For every one of us that gets a lucky chance, or escapes punishment for stealing, thousands more starve; those that don't get thrown in the cells, maimed, executed or conscripted. The only way out of that is to find a way to move to the Middle Ring- and that would involve exploiting our neighbors, who are in the same situation or worse. Your show of solidarity by staying in the Lower Ring isn't doing anyone any good... except your profit-seeking innkeeper." She threw a dark look at the doorway Jin had disappeared through.

"You were willing to rob me-"

"Because _you're_ not struggling to survive. The people of the Lower Ring do the work that _really_ keeps this city running; they build and defend the Outer Wall, they harvest the fields that feed the other Rings. They break their bodies and their spirits, so that the other two Rings can feel safe and content. And as a reward, the Council of Five keeps pitting them against each other, just like the Dai Li did. Because it keeps the Council in power, stops the people from turning on their oppressors. The White Lotus has only _helped_ them maintain that order."

Xai Bau shook his head. "I don't have an answer for you. If I could change the situation in the Lower Ring single-handed, I would-"

Tao snorted again. "You think you can't change things? Your Order has the ear of the Avatar, the most powerful being on earth, the _reason_ that idiot Kuei is still in power in the first place. The Avatar put the Earth King back on his throne, after the war; he can remove him again just as easily, if need be."

Xai Bau shook his head firmly. "Overthrowing King Kuei wouldn't help the situation. Besides, he's not the chief cause of your suffering-"

"The Hell he isn't!" Yiwu sputtered angrily, his mouth full of rice and vegetables. "He _commands_ the Council of Five! If he was a proper King, he would reduce their power or dismiss them, like he did to Long Feng! But unless the Avatar or someone _else_ with power backs him up, Kuei never makes up his mind on anything; he just lets the Council do whatever they want!"

"Kuei isn't a cruel person-"

"No, he's a _weak_ one, and that's worse." Tao snapped. "The Dai Li used him as their puppet for his entire life, and now the Council are using him the same way, because they're afraid of losing their wartime status and power. Strip away the puppet _and_ the oppressors behind him, and a new world can begin!" She slammed her hand down on the table to emphasize her point. Jin poked her head into the room, a warning look on her face, but Xai Bau raised his hand reassuringly and she left again.

"Just how much support do you think you'd have after assassinating the Earth King, or the Council- _assuming_ you were somehow able to overcome the Royal Guard _and_ rest of the White Lotus, including myself? Even if one of Kuei's vassals didn't move in to take his place, the city would descend into chaos; the strongest would still feed off of the weak. The system can only be changed politically, the way Kiyoshi did-"

"Kiyoshi only got her way because no one could stop her, she was the _Avatar!_ Force is the only language that people with power understand, and Kiyoshi used her force to bring justice!"

"All the same, Kiyoshi didn't try to _overthrow_ the Earth King. For that matter, she didn't act against him until he ordered her to put down the uprisings against him. And when she did act, the end result was a _compromise_ , intended to benefit both the Earth King _and_ his discontented subjects."

Even as he spoke, Xai Bau could feel how hollow his words were. The "compromise" of Kiyoshi had been a constitution which allowed for an elected Citizens' Council, to oversee the judicial courts and veto any laws proposed by the Earth Monarch that they deemed "unjust". However, in exchange she had created the Dai Li secret police, to "defend the Constitution and enforce the cultural preservation of Ba Sing Se"; the latter part ultimately meant protecting the Upper and Middle Ring, and the Palace grounds. After Kiyoshi's death, the Dai Li controlled subsequent Earth Monarchs by restricting the flow of information to them. Through this, and intimidation of the Citizens' Council, they had managed to pass further laws that gave them near-unlimited power, always cloaked in the monarch's authority.

Xai Bau had his own reasons to dislike the former secret police, but to the people of the Lower Ring in particular, the Dai Li had been a constant source of fear and hatred. Tao was old enough to have been around during their final years, and her contemptuous expression made it clear what she thought of the old warrior's assessment. She met his eyes. "Kiyoshi's 'compromise' created even more repression than before, once she wasn't around to keep an eye on it. Ba Sing Se isn't like the rest of the world; the walls hold us back so much, they might as well be stopping _time_. And the King isn't going to listen to his people, unless you get the Avatar to back us up."

"Well, what's your alternative, Tao? Let the people of the Lower Ring loot the rest of the city?"

Tao shrugged as she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. "It would be justice, after what we've been through for over a century-"

"But after you've finished with your revenge on your 'oppressors', what's your plan for Ba Sing Se?"

"It can crumble to ash, for all I care."

"And what about those in the Lower Ring who are suffering, but might _not_ feel the same as you? Or those in the Middle and Upper Ring who are just going about their lives peacefully, or may agree with you?" Tao's eyes flickered slightly- part scorn, part guilt. "I'd suggest that you consider those perspectives, before you try anything too hasty."

Xai Bau finished his tea, stood up and undid the string of coins from his belt. He removed half the gold pieces and set them on the table. Yiwu stared at the money, but Tao kept her eyes on the warrior. "If you want a better life, I'd suggest you head for either Omashu or Kiyoshi; the monarchs and chieftains there are _elected_ , not hereditary. This should be enough to cover passage for both of you."

He headed for the door, then paused. "By the way, Tao... make sure you keep your fists up, next time you're facing a nonbending opponent. The biggest advantage of bending is that it gives you _range_ ; if an opponent closes the distance on you the way I did, you'll be in trouble unless you have a backup plan."

Tao frowned as she pocketed the coins. "...How do _you_ know so much about bending tactics?"

"One of my previous apprentices was a Firebender." Xai Bau didn't look back. "She had a habit of being reckless, too- and it got her killed."

* * *

Tao's words troubled Xai Bau as he boarded the monorail again, riding out into the Agrarian Ring. It wasn't that she wanted better conditions for the Lower Ring, or that the government needed change; he entirely agreed with that. It was her determination to use violence to achieve her ends. That went against everything the Grand Lotuses had taught him, everything he had learned about the Air Nomads. Except for the liberation of Ba Sing Se, he had only ever used his skills for defense, either himself or those who could not protect themselves. Overthrowing the monarchy would require offensive violence- and more importantly, it would invite chaos and possible civil war. But without an alternative solution in mind, sooner or later someone more extreme would probably act without thinking, and do exactly that.

Xai Bau hadn't been lying about being unable to get through to the leaders of the White Lotus. He had sent detailed reports about the inherent flaws of Ba Sing Se, several times. Again and again, he explained that the rigid class system of the Earth Capital was too outdated, that it left thousands more people suffering in the Lower Ring _now_ than it ever had in wartime. Refugees had deserted many villages and come here during the Hundred Year War _and_ the two decades of peace that followed. The end result was that the Agrarian Ring could no longer sustain Ba Sing Se's populace. At least during wartime, some of the new arrivals had been funneled into the army and sent out to garrison other parts of the Kingdom ...or, had fallen in battle. Now, the United Republic's newspapers reported that the largest city in the world, whose King lived in the grandest palace complex in the world, _also_ had the largest number of homeless citizens. And this was the capital of the nation whose benders could build homes _at will_. Unbelievable.

The Grand Lotuses simply told him to take it up with the Avatar, or send a petition to the Earth King. Xai Bau had already known that the second option was pointless. Kuei was usually a gentle-natured man, but he was also a fool. Not that this was entirely his fault, since the Dai Li had raised him in complete ignorance since childhood. For almost six years after his restoration, Kuei had jumped into various projects without thinking ahead: his confrontation with Fire Lord Zuko over Yu Dao, his attempts to build new infrastructure for the Southern Water Tribe, and many others. Most were expensive, and usually abandoned at the first sign of trouble.

Finally, the year Kuei's first daughter was born, he saw the sense to delegate his administration. He continued to listen to the Avatar and other world leaders on diplomacy, but he left most of the governing of Ba Sing Se to the Council of Five. Although less repressive toward civilians than the Dai Li, the Council essentially put the city under martial law, each of them governing one of the five zones "on behalf of the King". Most of the new generation of Ba Sing Se's Earthbenders, instead of going to construction or agricultural crews, were either snapped up as conscripts of the Earth Army or forcibly recruited to expand and maintain the Outer Wall. All five Generals were paranoid since their brief overthrow by Long Feng and Azula, and the Wall was the one thing that made them feel secure. Which was ironic, considering it had been breached _several_ times during the war.

No, speaking to Kuei would be no help... unless Xai Bau was backed by someone powerful, who would either intimidate or impress the gentle but weak-willed king. Tao and Yiwu had been right about _that,_ and about who to ask. But getting Avatar Aang's attention hadn't been an option for some time.

Whenever Xai Bau thought of Aang, he felt a flash of cold anger. It was all very well to win wars, to stop the genocide that would have followed Sozin's Comet, but did Aang really think he'd fixed the world with one duel? And were was he now? Raising his family, and trying- and failing- to run his pet project, the United Republic. The strong preyed on the weak _there_ , too, though it was harder to notice.

Angry though Xai Bau was, he understood that Aang's concern for his children would outweigh the traditional duties of the Avatar, especially during their youth. No question, family was an important commitment, especially for someone who was _literally_ the Last Airbender. But the White Lotus was meant to balance the equation, to lighten Aang's load and work alongside him. If Aang had been willing to give them some initiative, to act more on his behalf, they could have participated in reconstructing and re-shaping the postwar world. Instead, the Order was still on sentry duty for various world leaders, who hardly needed protection. Here in Ba Sing Se, it was the common people who needed protection. Aang's wartime suffering was not a good enough excuse for staying only in Republic City, either. _Everyone_ had lost something, during the Hundred Year War; Aang's loss of his people was tragic, but he was far from the only one who had suffered.

Xai Bau's own loss had come during the final days, when he answered the call of the White Lotus to free Ba Sing Se. During the battle, his apprentice Kaho had disappeared; he found her body drifting in Lake Laogai, three days later. The other White Lotus members gave him empty words of condolence, saying she must have lost to a stronger Firebender. But even as his grief and rage overwhelmed him, Xai Bau had not been blinded by it. There were no burn marks on Kaho's body, only broken fingers and the awful wound that had split her skull open. Of course, the wounds _could_ have been caused by a bludgeon weapon, but the cells beneath Kuei's palace told him a different story. The original Council of Five, imprisoned by the Dai Li, told him Long Feng had been thrown back into prison after Azula's coup. But the ex-Grand Secretariat's cell was empty, its' door hanging open- and the Dai Li were nowhere to be found.

When Xai Bau implored his brethren to help him hunt down Kaho's killers, for the sake of justice and the memory of one of their own, they refused, claiming he didn't have concrete proof. Iroh had told him to let go of his obsession, or it would consume him, but this answer simply spurred Xai Bau to go hunting for the Dai Li alone. After two years with no leads and no results, he finally gave in and conceded that Iroh had been right. He did his best to accept the loss and move on with his life, but he never became attached to future apprentices, and a spark of pain and anger still flared whenever he heard mention of the Dai Li.

He needed a fresh perspective on the situation. Iroh had always been willing to listen, when Xai Bau first joined the Order. However, Iroh was now retired from the White Lotus, and spent most of his time back in the Fire Nation with his family. When he came to Ba Sing Se, it was usually to either visit his son's grave or look after his tea shop... which was in the Upper Ring. Even the wise and benevolent "Dragon of the West" had turned a blind eye to Ba Sing Se's flaws, it seemed. He needed someone a bit more... detached from the material world.

Xai Bau stepped off the monorail and passed out of the station; the two soldiers at the entrance simply waved him past, familiar with his routine. Following the path that wound through the dykes and fields, he closed his eyes, the rough ground under his bare feet so familiar he could walk it blindfolded.

Suddenly, his seismic sense caught the vibration of small footsteps behind him. Once again, he was being followed, but the impacts were too light to be an adult. He stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. No one was there, but his ears caught a rustling in the barley stalks, coupled with light breathing and a rapid heartbeat. Xai Bau smiled slightly; children were always following him out of curiosity and asking about his unusual clothing. This one was too shy, it seemed... although apparently they _were_ smart enough to evade the guards patrolling nearby. Probably busy sneaking a few extra fistfuls of grain. Just trying to survive, like everyone else in the Lower Ring...

He crested a little hill overlooking the rice-paddies and sat down cross-legged in the shade of a plum tree, connecting his thumbs across his stomach. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, but his mind refused to clear itself; the many thoughts rushing through it were provoking emotions that he was usually able to still.

"Focus. Breathe... enter the void... and empty." That wasn't _quite_ how Laghima's poem went, but it helped remind him of what he needed.

He took a deep breath, forcing all thoughts and concerns out of his head... and then, filling it with the sounds of the waves, from the docks at Yu Dao when he was a boy. The rush of the water sweeping in, then receding, drowned out everything else. The push and pull called the images of Yue and La, the twin spirits of the Moon and Ocean, to his mind; they twisted together to form the Ying and Yang. The symbol began to emit light...

* * *

A _kitsune_ fox-spirit was staring quizzically at Xai Bau when he opened his eyes in the Spirit World. He was sitting in a grove of trees with low-hanging, gnarled branches. A silvery mist swirled around him, mingling with the dappled light that spilled through the leaves.

He smiled and patted the _kitsune's_ head. "It's been a while, Māoyan." The spirit scurried up his shoulder, nosing eagerly at the flail in his belt. "I promise, I'll play with you the next time I come. Right now, I need to see our mutual friend. Is he in his usual place?"

Māoyan yipped and floated off through the undergrowth, her twin luminous-tipped tails weaving behind her. Xai Bau stood and followed; the branches of the trees parted respectfully, allowing him to pass.

As he emerged from the grove near the bank of a stream, the familiar form of Guru Pathik came into sight through the mist; the ancient man was sitting cross-legged on a boulder, his long brown fingers trailing in the water. Māoyan bounded onto the rock, nudging his shoulder affectionately. Xai Bau approached him from behind and bowed.

"I sensed you coming even before you crossed the plane between our worlds." Pathik greeted him without turning. The _kitsune_ curled up next to him, and he stroked her tasseled ears. "It's a wonder you are still able to pass through; there's barely enough spiritual energy for proper meditation, let alone separation of the soul from the body."

"People in Ba Sing Se aren't very interested in venerating the Spirits, these days." Xai Bau shook his head as he sat down on the bank, next to the Guru. "Besides, I had a lot on my mind."

"You, and others. You're not as alone in your concern for the downtrodden as you think. Piandao has made his own pilgrimages from the Fire Nation. I gave him the same answer I will give you: be patient. The balance you seek-"

"Will come in the end." Xai Bau nodded. "I know, _sifu._ I just need to know if you can see any way for me to... bring it _sooner_ , rather than later. As I said, there are those in Ba Sing Se for whom 'balance' doesn't mean much. _Survival_ is more what they have in mind, at any cost. I know you've been watching the goings-on of the world."

"Occasionally." Pathik plucked at his waist-length silver beard. "I can't see exact events in the mortal world, not with the Spirit Portals closed, but I _can_ sense disturbances in the energy along the plane. Occasionally, I gain a sense of what is happening... or what _may_ happen."

"You've had... a vision?"

"Indeed." Pathik turned around, his soft grey eyes staring at Xai Bau over a hooked nose. "I came to the brook this morning to clear away the algae, as always. When the stream was unblocked and the water ran clear, I saw two small children reflected on its' surface. One wore rags, the other golden robes. Then they vanished, and a vision of a giant, walled city in flames took their place. The words formed in my mind, unbidden: _A child found, a child lost, between them, blood and order cost."_

The hairs on the back of Xai Bau's neck stood up. Years before, he would have scoffed at this kind of vague prophecy, but his travels in the Spirit World had taught him not to take anything lightly. "A walled city in flames... Omashu? Ba Sing Se?"

"The reflection was too faint for me to tell _exactly_ where. Nonetheless, it does not bode well. You should warn the Avatar."

"Why can't you tell him yourself?"

"Aang still doesn't trust me. Ever since he managed to access the Avatar State at will, he believes there is nothing more to learn... or, that there is too much to be sacrificed in the process."

"Well, you _did_ essentially tell him he had to give up the one he loved just to get to the Avatar State, which he proved wrong-"

"You're missing the point, boy." Pathik interrupted curtly. "I'm not concerned with Aang's ability to access his _power_ , so much as the spiritual links that keep him in tune with the rest of the world. You know as well as I do, that in recent years he has become... complacent. The end of the Hundred Year War does _not_ mean the world doesn't need the Avatar anymore. Aang doesn't have a great deal of time left, and there is still much to do-"

"What do you mean, he doesn't have much time left?"

"One hundred years trapped in an iceberg takes a great deal of energy to stay alive, even if you are the Avatar." Pathik looked forlorn. "He may live another twenty years or so, but there is no guarantee-"

Xai Bau snorted. "Clearly, you have a different perception of time in the Spirit World, _sifu_. Twenty years is plenty of time."

"Not if most of it is spent teaching and protecting his children." Pathik locked eyes with him. "Promise me you will warn Aang of my vision. If he hears it from someone he trusts, he may be willing to come and speak with me; we can discover the meaning of this prophecy together. The Avatar needs to be warned, before it's too late."

Xai Bau felt mildly annoyed that he was merely the Guru's messenger, but all the same he nodded. Passing along Pathik's prophecy was one way to get into Aang's good graces. If he could achieve that, persuading the Avatar to take action in Ba Sing Se might not be such a great leap after all. "...I promise, _sifu_."

"Thank you, my friend." Pathik reached for a crooked staff next to his rock and used it to pull himself upright. "I'm afraid I must leave you, now. There may be a way for me to find out more about this vision... but it will require facing certain dangers."

A smirking smile played across Xai Bau's lips. "I would think 'danger' would be something _you'd_ dismiss out of hand; you're effectively immortal."

Pathik returned the smirk sadly. "True... but as we both know, there are things far worse than death. I will send Māoyan to find you in the mortal world, when I have learned more; unlike me, she is still able to pass through. Until we meet again."

Turning away, the Guru hobbled off into the mists. Xai Bau stood up, shaking his head slightly. His old mentor was as cryptic as ever.

Suddenly, there was a faint creaking of branches behind them. Xai Bau spun around, his hand going to his baton, even though he knew it was useless here. Māoyan growled, her eyes glowing and the fur on her neck bristling. Xai Bau followed her gaze to the edge of the grove. Peering around the trunk of the nearest tree was a shock of shaggy dark hair and two piercing, jade-green eyes. It was a small boy, about seven to eight years old.

Xai Bau frowned. Was this a spirit, impersonating a human form, or someone who had passed away? He took a step towards the tree, and the boy stepped back, warily. No... a spirit or a permanent resident would not have bothered to hide, and anyway the movements were too uncoordinated and clumsy to be anything but a mortal.

"...How did you get here, child?"

"I followed you."

"I can see that, but how did you get into the Spirit World?"

The boy simply looked confused. "I followed _you_."

Xai Bau frowned again, then his eyes widened as a possibility occurred to him. "You... followed me _into_ the Spirit World?"

The boy shrugged. "All I did was follow you to the hill, then sat down and did the same thing you were doing. I was curious-"

Alarmed, Xai Bau focused on his body. There was a rush of darkness all around him as the Spirit World faded away, then his eyes snapped open. The sun had nearly set, but he could still make out the rice-paddies around his little hill. Sitting directly across from him, in a perfect lotus position, was the boy, his eyes closed.

Xai Bau studied him curiously. Although he wore the ragged, dusty garb of a peasant child, he looked well-fed for his age; he was probably used to foraging around the dykes for edible plants or forgotten grain.

Closing his eyes again, the warrior drew himself back into the grove. The boy was turning frantically in circles, staring in every direction; his rushed entrance to the Spirit World had taught him nothing about how to get back out. Māoyan hovered around his feet, her tails flicking back and forth.

The boy's eyes widened with relief when he saw Xai Bai again, then narrowed accusingly. "You left me behind!"

"If you can get into the Spirit World, you ought to know how to get out."

"Like I said, I was just trying to do what I saw _you_ doing! I followed you, then I listened to what you were saying to yourself, then I copied you just to see if I could! Next thing I knew, I was sitting in the branches of this tree-" he rapped the tree trunk with his knuckles "-when I saw you and the old man and the fox talking together." He put out his hand to the _kitsune_ , and to Xai Bau's surprise, she licked it affectionately. "What _were_ you talking about?"

"You... you meditated and followed me without even _knowing_ what you were doing?" Xai Bau shook his head. "That's... _very_ impressive, but dangerous, boy. Forget what the soldiers would have done to you if they'd caught you raiding the fields-"

"The soldiers don't scare me." The boy looked defiant. "I've been able to sneak between the Agrarian Ring and the Lower Ring for years."

"Is that how you stay well-fed?"

The boy shrugged, looking both defiant and guilty... just like Tao. "I help glean the leftover rice and barley. No one notices if I take a bit back for myself... and for my friends."

He gave the warrior a shrewd look, as if daring him to judge. But the day's events had only reinforced Xai Bau's sympathy for the downtrodden, for those who fought for their survival against the odds. And being able to _follow_ a White Lotus into the Spirit World on the first try, with no formal training... this could _not_ be passed up. Now more than ever, the Order of the White Lotus needed someone with this kind of talent. He could nurture it carefully, not let it become bogged down in protecting the status quo, like so many of the other new recruits...

He put his hand gently on the boy's shoulder. "Let me lead you back to the mortal world."

For the first time, the child looked fearful. "I said, I don't know how-"

"You will, in time. For now, just hang on to me."

The last of the daylight was vanishing as they returned. Xai Bau steered the boy along the path leading back to the monorail station. "Jin can give you a room at the inn where I'm staying, I'll cover the cost-"

"What are you talking about? I have to get this back to my friends at the orphanage." The boy stopped and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a pouch full of collected rice stuffed in at elbow level. "They've been waiting for this all day-"

"Keep that _hidden_." Xai Bau yanked his sleeve back down hastily, crouching in front of him. "I appreciate your loyalty to your friends, child, but what good will you do them if you're caught? You... you have an _extraordinary_ gift. How _easily_ you got into the Spirit World... I don't know if anyone's been able to do that since the Air Nomads were alive. I can teach you how to use that gift-"

"No, thanks-"

" _And_...I can teach you how defeat _benders_ in combat." The boy paused, one thick eyebrow raised. "Feel free to invite your friends along; the White Lotus welcomes all volunteers. But someone with _your_ gifts, your natural connection with the Spirits...if all your abilities were brought to their fullest, you would never have to _fight_ to survive again."

"...Keep talking."

"First, tell me your name."

The boy frowned. "I don't know the name my parents gave me." He smiled impishly for a moment. "There's one name that the orphanage director used to call me, that I liked. It was from a story about a farmer, who traveled in search of a gateway to the Spirit World, so that the spirits could return to our world and bless his field. But it ended with the farmer becoming possessed by a dark spirit, a _yokai_."

"Ah, yes, I'm familiar with that one. Seems you're already halfway there."

* * *

By the time they returned to Jin's inn, the boy had told Xai Bau some of his story. As with most people from the Lower Ring, it wasn't a pleasant one. He had been left in an overcrowded orphanage at nearly two years old, thrown out at age six when he kept picking fights with bigger children. In the slums, he managed to survive by running odd jobs for more practiced thieves and gangsters, eventually drawing several children in similar circumstances into his orbit. Since the children only ever stole enough to keep themselves sheltered and fed, they always managed to stay out of the eye of the police- and the local gangs that might have otherwise extorted them. Though the boy was dismissive of his achievements, his own survival skills- and the way he passed them so readily to his friends- indicated leadership and decisiveness.

Xai Bau found himself becoming hopeful. This boy reminded him so much of Kaho, if a little more unfortunate... and he was easier to empathize with, being a nonbender. Once fully trained, he might even become a future leader of the White Lotus, one day. His kind of single-minded determination, if given principals and a task to follow, could shock the older members of the Order out of their complacent state.

He clapped the boy on the shoulder as they approached the door. "You have such talent, child... and as long as your heart and your head are in the right place, you'll go so far-"

"Xai Bau!" A familiar voice from behind interrupted him. Turning, he saw a grey-haired woman in White Lotus robes gliding toward him on an ice-slide. "We're needed on the Palace grounds, right away. Orders from the Grand Lotuses."

"Nakken, if this is about another parade for Bosco, you can tell them I'm ill." Xai Bau glanced over his shoulder quickly. The boy had vanished, but faint breathing was coming from the eaves over the doorway. "Unless it's something _genuinely_ concerning to the world at large-"

"It's not optional." The Waterbender stepped off the ice, liquefied it and sucked it back into a sealskin pouch on her belt. "Nearly all the White Lotus is being called to Ba Sing Se, on Grand Lotus Sungwoo's orders. Princess Hou-Ting has just vanished-"

"' _Vanished?'_ " The old warrior turned around, frowning.

"She disappeared earlier this morning; the King and his staff didn't realize until she didn't arrive as scheduled for the mid-day meal. Whoever took her came with stealth; nothing was disturbed on her estate, but two of the guards at the south entrance were found dead, and all her servants unconscious. Sungwoo's been questioning them, but they didn't see their attackers."

Once again, the hairs on the back of Xai Bau's neck stood up. _A child found, a child lost, between them blood and order cost_. First a boy in peasant clothes, then a girl in golden robes, within hours of each other. It might be too late to warn the Avatar about Pathik's prophecy.

His thoughts flashed to the two youths he had met earlier that day, but he quickly dismissed the idea. They had the motive, but not the means. "Has anyone taken responsibility for the abduction? Made ransom demands, something like that?"

"None. Of course, Hou-Ting was always a prime target for anyone with a grudge against the Royal Family, but there have been no demands or ultimatums yet. The Council of Five are blaming the Fire Nation-"

"No surprises there."

"Obviously, but given the tension between the Fire Nation and Omashu since Ariq was elected King, that argument can't be dismissed entirely. All the same, we haven't had any troubling reports from from the Grand Lotuses in the Fire Nation lately, and there weren't any burn marks on the dead guards. Anyway, kidnapping isn't Zuko's style." Nakken looked grim. "Kuei's beside himself. I know he spoils Hou-Ting, but still..."

Xai Bau nodded. Flawed though the Earth King was, there was no denying his love for his daughters. To have his first-born taken would leave him paralyzed and out of his mind with terror... which was probably just what the abductor wanted. It was for exactly that reason, that Xai Bau had remained celibate all his life. He'd always had affection for children, but attachments could be distracting- and easy to exploit. He still lived with the pain of losing Kaho every day, and she had only been his apprentice.

Also, there was something about the way the abduction had happened that was setting off an alarm bell at the back of his mind. The stealth, the minimal casualties, the lack of any disturbance beyond knocked-out servants... Perhaps, after all these years, the Dai Li had finally crawled out from whatever hole they were hiding in. All the better, he thought with relish; justice was long overdue.

Nakken was looking at him expectantly. Xai Bau sighed. "...Tell Sungwoo I'll be there by morning. I'll need to visit the hawk-roost tower, first... I have a message that needs to reach the Avatar."

"We weren't instructed to bring Aang into this-"

"I think he may already be involved, whether the Grand Lotuses like it or not. There's a matter in the Spirit World, not unconnected with this, that he needs to attend to." He looked her in the eye. "This is for the sake of balance across the _world_ , Nakken, not just getting back the heir to the Earth Kingdom."

Nakken looked uncomfortable, but she pressed her fist to her palm, bowed, and departed when Xai Bau returned the gesture. As soon as she turned a corner, the boy dropped from the rafters, landing awkwardly.

"You heard everything?"

"Not really. Just the parts I understood." The boy's eyes narrowed. "What do you need the Avatar for?"

"It has to do with my conversation with Guru Pathik- the old man from the Spirit World. I'll explain when I return." Xai Bau pulled his room key and the rest of his coins from his belt. "This will be enough gold to get you by for a few weeks. If it runs out, tell Jin she can bill the Grand Secretariat." The Earth King's chief Minister paid for the lodgings of all White Lotuses in Ba Sing Se.

"I want to come with you-"

"Not yet." Xai Bau forced a reassuring smile. "I _will_ teach you, you have my word, but I can't ignore the call of my Order- and in this situation, bringing you along would only put your life _and_ mine in danger. Once you've had a few years of training, you'll be able to accompany me anywhere... whether in this world, or the next."

The boy looked sullen, but he accepted the key and coins. "Can you speak to me through the Spirit World?"

"Perhaps. But only if you can emerge at the same spot as before, otherwise you might end up trapped there again. If I'm not available, Pathik may be able to show you, when he returns from his little journey. I'll ask him to wait for you."

"When will that be?"

"I don't know- time moves a bit differently in the Spirit World. But if I'm able to contact him again, I'll send you a message by hawk. Perhaps I _will_ be able to begin your training early, after all." Xai Bau raised an eyebrow. "Who should I send the letter to?"

"I'll stick with the name from the story. It's as good as any other." The boy gave him a direct look. "Until you return, _sifu_."

Xai Bau returned his gaze, once again intrigued by its' intensity. "I give you my word... Zaheer."


	9. Chapter 7: Western Air Nomad Mountains

Ty Lee didn't move when she finally woke, didn't risk inhaling deeply or shifting her eyelids. It was a dream, it was a dream, it had to be a dream-

"Trying a variation of Zuko's 'Azula always lies' mantra, are you?" A cool, smirking voice drowned out her thoughts, sent her heart racing. "It didn't work for _him_ when we were kids, and it won't make a difference for you now. I'd use power of persuasion, but why bother when the proof is... right in front of you?" There was a light _clack_ of a wooden bowl being set down in front of her closed eyelids, and a waterskin was held against her lips. "Drink, then eat. You've been asleep another two days since you passed out again. Your body will fester and fade without fuel. I _know_ you're awake. Have you forgotten who taught you everything you know about stealth?"

She didn't move. She couldn't. After twenty years... and of course, her attitude hadn't changed at all. Ty Lee could feel a fresh throbbing at the base of her skull. She didn't remember how-

And then, she did. Right after Azula took off the mask- _Zuko's_ mask- Ty Lee had reflexively tried to _chi_ -block her. Of course, Azula had anticipated that.

"You could've set me down a bit gentler." She tried to keep her tone indifferent, to keep the shock out of her voice. She was so dehydrated that the words came out as a feeble croak.

"Not much motivation to be gentle, when your first reaction was to _attack_ your rescuer. Which, of course, raises the question: why _did_ I come to your rescue, anyway?" The voice sounded childishly smug for a moment. The leather neck of the waterskin rapped her lips. " _Drink._ "

Gritting her teeth, Ty Lee opened her eyes, snatched the waterskin away and guzzled from it. She kept her gaze on the wall, where the firelight was throwing grotesque shadows. One of them circled around the fire and dropped into a sitting position.

"And now, you're too afraid to even _look_ at me. Have I really become that terrifying?" The voice chuckled. "Not what I was going for, but it's nice to know I haven't lost it. At least my _face_ is still the same, unlike poor Zuzu's. Are you still that timid teenager, so afraid of offending anyone because you just _have_ to make friends with everyone, even your enemies?"

Ty Lee set down the half-empty waterskin, pushed herself carefully upright, and took a deep breath. Then she turned. Azula was sitting upright on her heels, the same pose the Fire Lord traditionally held when sitting on their throne. Her clothes- mostly made of yeti-ibex hide- were worn out, but serviceable. The odd knife she had used to kill Takeo's scouts hung in a sheath on her belt, along with several small, leather pouches. The _Noh_ mask of the Blue Spirit lay beside her.

"How did you get that?" Ty Lee blurted out, then wanted to kick herself. She was finally face-to-face with her childhood friend, the one who had given her nightmares for five years after she disappeared, and the first thing she asked about was a stupid mask?

Azula didn't seem surprised, though. She lifted the painted and polished piece of wood so that the firelight reflected off its' bronze-ringed eyeholes. "When we took Ba Sing Se, I had the Dai Li dredge Lake Laogai before we went home. The... treatment they used on Joo Dee could have been very useful, in Father's hands. It would have ensured no one ever challenged the Fire Nation again."

Ty Lee felt her stomach turn. All too well, she remembered the blank, dead eyes of the young woman Azula had installed as her puppet over Ba Sing Se. "That's... how they held control."

"Precisely. I was a bit surprised that they never bothered to use that technique on their Fire Nation war prisoners. Then again, given how often that idiot Long Feng underestimates his opponents, it's no wonder he only ever used it on his own people. Anyway, the Dai Li had a facility beneath the lake. Unfortunately, after the Avatar discovered their little trick, they flooded it and damaged it beyond repair; Long Feng was too hasty about trying to hide his treachery from the Earth King." Azula ran her long, pointed nails over the surface of the mask. "I _did_ find this, not far from the shore, though. Recognized it right away, but I wasn't really interested in finding out why Zuzu decided to toss it in the lake."

"And of course, _returning_ it to Zuko would be completely beyond you." Ty Lee heard a snide bit of sarcasm enter her own voice, then clamped her mouth shut. Azula's golden gaze snapped from the mask to her face in an instant.

"Why would I have given this to Zuzu?" Azula smirked. "I figured I'd use it to play a joke or two on him and Mai when we got home, but then he betrayed us and joined the Avatar before I got the chance. Besides, he stole it from _me_ originally, the day his exile began."

Ty Lee frowned. "I never saw you wear that when we were kids-"

"It was a gift from my mother." Azula replied curtly, her tone clearly indicating that the subject needed to change. "It was the only thing I ever got from her that seemed too... depressing to burn."

Ty Lee looked away, lifting the waterskin to her mouth and draining it. She'd occasionally seen Azula's difficult relationship with her mother Ursa during their childhood, and it was one of many reasons she had pitied her friend. Ursa had always given most of her love and affection to Zuko... if only to compensate, because Ozai's cruelty toward his son had began _years_ before he scarred Zuko's face.

By contrast, Azula had never been _abused_ by her mother, but Ursa's showering favor on Zuko had darkened her aura. And rather than trying to mentor Azula as she did her firstborn child, Ursa frequently shut her daughter down whenever she said something tactless or malicious. No wonder she'd been drawn to the one family member who didn't shun her for being herself; it was just that _that_ person turned out to be a power-hungry megalomaniac. But, still... Azula had kept the Blue Spirit mask, all these years. It couldn't _just_ be to remind her that her mother 'thought she was a monster'.

"You could have just followed Zuko when he was in exile, and taken the mask back. That would have been easy enough for you to accomplish, even on your own."

Azula gave Ty Lee a look of contempt. "That would have shown attachment. Attachments are a weakness, as Zuko proved by stealing it in the first place; he was trying to get even with me for all the things I stole from _him_ over the years. That dagger our uncle gave him, Father's approval, his position as heir to the throne."

"But why not burn the mask anyway?" Ty Lee tried to use a scornful tone, but her voice betrayed her curiosity. "If you _really_ saw it as a weakness, you would have cut it out a long time ago."

"Because I'm not the same person you faced before-" Azula abruptly cut herself off, her eyes swiveling to the cave wall. She hastily turned back to the fire, but her head cocked to one side, as if listening for something. Ty Lee glanced in the direction of the entrance, but she couldn't hear anyone approaching. She turned back to Azula and opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, when the Princess suddenly hissed, " _Don't you dare lecture_ me _on how one should and shouldn't treat their peers_."

Ty Lee flinched. Azula's features weren't as gaunt and haggard, as they had been in the asylum. In fact, except for her slightly hollowed cheeks, she looked perfectly healthy. But her voice suddenly became harsh and guttural; a wild, unfocused look entered her eyes, one Ty Lee had seen before, and her aura flared a poisonous, purple shade. Whatever the last twenty years had done to her former friend, it seemed that her mind hadn't completely recovered. Ty Lee decided to play along, to see if Azula would reveal more.

"I wasn't implying anything-"

"What are you talking about? You didn't _say_ anything, just sat there with your mouth hanging open. Same as the last time." Azula's voice had already reverted back to its' usual light, mocking tone. Ty Lee was startled by how fast she switched back, but her resentment at the dismissive insult overrode her caution. She pushed herself fully upright, shrugging off the blanket.

"Depends on what you mean by 'the last time.'" A voice at the back of her head was telling her it was _su_ _icide_ to goad Azula like this, but she couldn't stop herself. "Do you mean when I knocked you down at the Boiling Rock, or when I wheeled you out of the insane asylum a year later? _Or_ , was it when you attacked us in the Capital, with your little posse of _Kemurikage_ impostors? And here you are, still clinging to that stupid mask, still clinging to the fiction that your mother is afraid of you. Looks like the other way around, from where I'm sitting-"

Azula's golden gaze instantly snapped back to Ty Lee. Her hand twitched, and the flames between them turned blue and flared a foot higher. Ty Lee raised her arm hastily to shield her face from the burst of heat.

"Don't push your luck, Ty." The Princess' voice became dangerously soft. "Don't make me regret saving you out there."

Ty Lee swallowed and glanced away, picking a strip of meat from the wooden bowl and chewing on it. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she willed herself to sit still, and meet Azula's unblinking eyes. She hadn't felt fear during her capture on the mountainside _or_ when she'd been facing death, only rage and grief for Jeonsa. She couldn't show any fear now, couldn't surrender to the control Azula held over her through childhood and adolescence. If Ty Lee gave in to that, all of Suki's training was for nothing.

And besides, Azula's last remark had reminded her of something. "Why _did_ you attack those scouts? Better yet, what are you doing in the Air Nomad lands?"

Azula looked pensive for a moment- an unusual expression, for her face. "...As far as your second question, I've done my fair share of traveling the world since our last encounter in the Capital. These mountains seemed a reasonable stop to make-"

"Fine, don't tell me the truth. You weren't going to anyway, were you?" Ty Lee let scorn enter her voice, even though she knew it was dangerous. She braced herself for an explosive response as she continued. "Zuko was only partly wrong when he said you always lie- you do _sometimes_ tell the truth, but only when it gives you more advantage than a lie."

Azula didn't seem offended by this remark; instead, her mouth curved into a smile, as if flattered. "By that logic or otherwise, I've never had to lie to _you_ , Ty. I might have left some things unsaid, but you were always sensible enough to figure them out. Use the logic Mai and I gave you, and figure _this_ out. What could I be doing near a mutinous Fire Nation fort, on the eve of my brother's little showdown with a renegade General?"

Ty Lee froze. There was only one way Azula would know about Zuko's conflict with Takeo... and when it was happening. "You're with him. He's using his defiance of Zuko as a cover to restore you to the throne."

Azula threw up her hands. "Finally! The coin drops."

"But even by that logic... again, you killed almost a score of your own troops, just to save me. _Why_?"

"'Always keep your enemies confused, turning on each other, ignorant of your designs.' Grandfather Azulon taught me that, before he was reduced to a doddering old fool."

"So which enemy are you trying to confuse at this point? Zuko, me... or Takeo?"

An enigmatic smile flickered across Azula's lips. "...You're catching on. But since you've been asking all the questions so far, I think it's my turn, now. What were _you_ doing around Omori?"

"What, you're gonna torture me if I don't answer?" Ty Lee felt her muscles tense involuntarily. She wouldn't last long, that was her one consolation.

"Relax. I don't _need_ to know. Though, I can guess well enough: Mai's having you do her dirty work for her, now that she and Zuzu are busy with my brat of a niece?" Azula chuckled as Ty Lee sputtered angrily. "I've been watching the passes around Omori for days, making my own considerations for the upcoming battle. I'm guessing you were doing the same thing, for another faction. You really haven't changed that much, after all: you've just exchanged one master for another."

"Mai's not my master, she's my friend." Ty Lee narrowed her eyes. "She doesn't threaten or coerce me."

"She's still the one giving the orders, and you're the one following. Rather the way things were between us, if you recall. So what's changed? You're still a puppet, letting others do the thinking for you-"

"At least I'm not a prisoner in my own _mind_." Ty Lee cut her off. "When you fought Zuko during your little _Kemurikage_ uprising, you told him your mind was clearer than ever. But you never really healed, did you? You still see things that aren't really there, things that frighten you, even though you'll never admit it."

Azula's eyes flashed, like an oven door opening, but this time she didn't reply. Her gaze was unfocused again; her left hand raised slowly, a sapphire-colored fire dagger hovering over her fist. Ty Lee tensed, but the Princess didn't attack. Her eyes were fixated on the same patch of cave wall as before. Then, just as her fist was level with her shoulder, her fingers uncurled, and the dagger dissipated. After a pause, Azula slowly turned back to Ty Lee.

"...What?"

"Who is it that you see, when you're lost in your own mind?" Ty Lee blurted out, though she thought she knew the answer.

Azula stared into the flames. " _Ursa_." She whispered, after a long pause. "But she's not the weakness she once was; she's just a distraction, and I can see right through her. I can see right through her." The last words were repeated in a rapid whisper, more to herself than to Ty Lee.

"Would you like to see her? The _real_ her, not the one in your head." Ty Lee leaned forward. "She's not in hiding anymore-"

"I know perfectly well where she is." Azula cut her off harshly. She drew her long knife and began slicing a strip of meat from the roast. "I saw her years ago, when Zuko and I went looking for her. She had a new face, a new life and a new child, none of which interested me."

"You saw the person she was disguised as, to keep herself safe from your father." Ty Lee interrupted. "She was still herself, underneath. The _Kao no Okasan_ spirit restored her features and her memories, just after you fled. She looks the way she did when she was banished-"

"Are you _trying_ to goad me into hunting her down?" Azula hissed angrily. "Because that's what I plan to do, if I come face-to-face with her again. The only reason I _didn't_ kill Ursa in Hira'a was because her new face didn't have any connection to my life. When Zuko and I first went hunting for her, I thought I could get her out of my head, for good, if I cut her down. But because she'd already given up her own face, her own memories to that spirit, I thought I didn't need to anymore." She sucked in a deep breath. "I was... half-right. She doesn't come to me as often as before, but she's still a distraction. Because the last time I saw her, the real her... we _both_ had different features."

Ty Lee nodded slowly. "...You saw her again when you came to the Capital, didn't you? Except that time she couldn't see _your_ face, because you were hiding behind a _Kemurikage_ mask."

"It had to be one she wouldn't recognize." Azula shrugged, glancing at the _N_ _oh_ mask lying by her feet.

"That's funny... because most of the time you were in the Capital, all Ursa would ask about was _you_."

"Because she was afraid of me-"

" _Spirits_ , Azula, stop it!" Ty Lee snapped. "She was never afraid of _you_ , she was afraid of Ozai, and what he did to you and Zuko! But she isn't afraid of him anymore, and you don't have to be either. You could come to the Capital and see her-"

"Enough." Azula cut her off. "You think I'm a fool enough to go to the Capital _now_ , when I'm at the cusp of victory?"

Ty Lee scoffed. "I could never change _your_ mind, Azula; I'm just giving you other choices. I doubt anyone's ever tried to give you options, probably because you scare them too much. It was always you changing other people's minds, not the other way around. Zuko, me, the Dai Li, your _Kemurikage_ cohorts... all the people you ever forced into submission through fear or cunning." A thought ran through her head. "You're probably planning to double-cross Takeo in some way or another after all this plays out, aren't you? The same way you betrayed Long Feng in Ba Sing Se."

Azula grinned. "Oh, you don't know the _half_ of it, Ty. And you certainly won't be learning anymore from me." She pulled the wooden pot and bark cups from a nook in the cave wall. Removing a sprig of herbs from a pouch on her belt, she began shredding them into the cups. "This tea will help us get a reasonable amount of sleep before we start off tomorrow. We can't move right now, the storm hasn't broken yet."

"I'm not going anywhere with you-"

"Suit yourself. I won't force you." Azula waved her hand dismissively as she walked toward the mouth of the cave. "You were always a survivor, before. What did those Kiyoshi women teach you about surviving alone, injured in a mountain cave, near the winter solstice?" She swept a clump of snow into the pot with her arm, then held her other hand underneath it, conjuring blue flames to melt the snow into water. "One thing I _have_ enjoyed about my years in exile, alone: the choices that the wilderness gives you are so _simple_. Survival, or death: these are always the only answers. If Zuko had spent his exile alone, as I did, if he hadn't had Iroh plodding after him, he might have learned that."

Within minutes, the water had come to a boil. Azula half-filled both cups, then approached Ty Lee, set a cup in front of her, and drained her own. "You'll have to learn the same lesson quickly enough, if you choose not to come with me tomorrow."

* * *

Ty Lee woke with a start. The fire was a pile of dying coals, and the cave had become bitterly cold. Raising her head, she saw the faint outline of Azula on the other side of the coals, wrapped in her cloak. She lay curled on her side, facing the wall. Her legs were bent slightly, as if ready to spring into battle straight from her sleep. Given her behavior earlier, that was probably something that happened often.

If Ty Lee was going to explore her escape options, now was the time. She hadn't drunk Azula's tea, so her head was clear, but whether Azula really was sedated or not, she would need to move quickly but silently. She pulled down her boot, made sure the Dai Li tassel was still there, then examined her ankle. It was still a bit swollen, but she managed to stand upright and put weight on it. Healed enough to walk, but not run. Her side and head were feeling better, too, but her arm still hurt like Hell. She wasn't in shape enough to fight if the Princess or the rebels caught up with her, but she could find another hiding spot and stay there... _perhaps_ long enough to somehow signal one of the Fire Nation airships.

Gritting her teeth, she dragged herself across the floor as quietly as she could to her sword and travel gear, then hobbled toward the cave entrance. But one glance outside, and she realized her hope was futile. If there were any landmarks on the slopes nearby, they were impossible to see through the whiteout of the storm; it was so dark, and so near the solstice, that she couldn't tell how close it was to dawn. She would freeze long before she got anywhere near Omori or the Kiyoshi encampment- assuming Azula didn't track her down first.

But strangely, Ty Lee wasn't overwhelmed by her old fear of Azula. Part of it was more than a decade of rigorous training and discipline under Suki. But more importantly, the Princess seemed more interested in talking with her than anything else. Her attitude was the same as before, but the old Azula wouldn't have bothered to provide food and shelter for someone who she knew was working against her. Would she?

If Azula wanted her gone, she could have simply left her to die on the slope with Jeonsa, or not rescued her from the rebels to begin with. Indeed, Ty Lee was still dependent on her for... nearly everything. If she was going to warn Zuko, waiting for the right opportunity was the only option, for now. The rebels in Omori had been wrong; Neutral Jing was _not_ a tactic just for Earthbenders.

Ty Lee hobbled back to the firepit and held out her hands, but the coals' feeble warmth wasn't enough. She paused, then glanced at the space between Azula's back and the fire-pit. Insane even to think about, but bodily warmth was something she'd used with her Kiyoshi comrades before, and she knew it worked. Azula twitched in her sleep, inhaling sharply; her herbal tea was keeping her asleep, but not at peace. Had she _ever_ been at peace, really? Not while Ty Lee had known her, but maybe in her earlier years, before Ozai's influence became too strong...

Shivering, Ty Lee laid her _katana_ and gear against the wall again, dropped to her hands and knees, and slowly wiggled into the narrow space. Immediately, she felt warmer. As she was arranging her hide-blanket around her shoulders, her elbow accidentally bumped Azula's left shoulder blade.

The Princess let out a sharp gasp, her body twisting sideways, her hands raising automatically in a defensive position. Without thinking, Ty Lee reached out and wrapped her fingers gently around Azula's wrists. She should have remembered, from all those childhood years spent sparring; Azula was always more protective of her left side. As the other woman struggled, hyperventilating, Ty Lee pressed herself lightly against her back, silently begging the Spirits not to let her Firebend in the confined space. She might collapse the cave on them both.

As Azula jerked sideways, nearly rolling both of them into the fire-pit, Ty Lee found her chin pressed into the hollow of her shoulder, her lips next to her ear. "Shhh, shhh." She whispered softly, as if to a child. "It's all right, shhh."

After what seemed like an age, Azula's hands began to relax, but her breathing still seemed a bit fast; perhaps she was awake, wondering what on earth was going on. Ty Lee wasn't sure about that herself. She could feel adrenaline surging through her veins, but Azula didn't seem about to attack. They hadn't been this physically close since... well, the _Kemurikage_ crisis didn't make a happy parallel. She reached out to touch a silky lock of the dark hair, her fingers working it into the shape of a tress-

Azula had her left wrist in an iron grip instantly, heat pulsing through her fingertips. Her head turned slowly, until she was facing Ty Lee; her eyes were open. "I don't wear it like that anymore."

Ty Lee winced as she pulled her injured hand free. She felt a sense of disappointment as she moved away from Azula, around the fire. "Shame. I always thought it made you look happier- even in battle."

"Why would I be happy about something that reminds me of the past?" Azula replied curtly. She sat up, shook the cloak off her shoulders and reached for a few sticks of wood, which she tossed into the fire-pit. "Especially if it's associated with you, in any way. I certainly don't need a _reminder_ of my greatest mistake."

" _Your_ greatest mistake?" Ty Lee raised an eyebrow. "So, the great perfectionist admits she 'miscalculated?'"

Azula's eyes flashed, and a tongue of blue flame leaped from her fingertip to the wood. "You think repeating Mai's taunts gives them any weight? My 'miscalculation' was in ever trusting either of you."

"You had every reason to trust us, right up until that moment. If you'd actually opened up to us at Ember Island, you would have understood why-"

"What, and give you a weapon to use on me later?"

"You're only paranoid about that because it was your favorite way of tormenting Zuko." Ty Lee sighed, pressing her fingers to her forehead. "When we last saw each other in the Capital, you punched me in the jaw-"

"Self-defense is a fairly automatic response, when an attacker is trying their best to to _chi_ -block you." Azula cut her off. "Which is exactly what you were trying to do, at the time...rather like two nights ago when I took the mask off. That's not counting the two times you _chi-_ blocked me while I was in _restraints_. I imagine that was an amusing reversal for you? To have me completely at your mercy? Or was that just a pathetic attempt to re-live the sensation of when you _betrayed_ me at the Boiling Rock? It's not paranoia if it's based on experience."

Ty Lee flinched. She should have known _that_ would come up, sooner or later. "I'll admit, I felt guilty for almost two years after the Boiling Rock. I even wanted to apologize to you, but at first I didn't know if you were lucid enough to recognize it, and later you were gone-"

"Excuses."

"Yes, fair enough. But if you're expecting me to recant what I did at the Boiling Rock, the answer is still no. I wouldn't have acted differently. Unless you had left me a choice."

"You _had_ a choice, the same one I gave you when I got you out of that circus." Azula glared at her. "I needed you to have my back at any cost, or be gone."

Ty Lee reddened slightly, then shook her head."You were going to kill Mai-"

" _Of course I was!"_ Azula roared. Once again, the flames turned blue and flared twice as high. "She helped Zuko escape, she refused to fear me! I had no further use for her. _You_ had no further use for her."

"Use?!" Ty Lee spat. "She was your _friend,_ Azula, not an object or a slave! We were both your friends, your _only_ friends. We were loyal without you having to browbeat us-"

"Only as long as you feared me. Once _that_ variable was removed, your loyalty was _worthless_ , as you both demonstrated."

Ty Lee looked down. "...Not true."

She felt Azula's sharp index fingernail press into her chin, lifting her face until she was staring into those hypnotic golden eyes again. "What was that?"

Ty Lee swallowed. She hadn't felt fear, when the rebels captured her. Now... she remembered why she had followed Azula in the first place, why she had been forced to make her choice, and why she still carried the guilt. "You're right, I did fear you. Mai feared you too, though not as much as I did. And you played on that fear to control me, the _one_ time I ever turned you down." She searched Azula's eyes for any hint of remorse, but her expression was indifferent, waiting for the next bit of information.

"But... that wasn't the only reason I was willing to follow you, when you came to the circus." Ty Lee took a deep breath. "Do you remember our second year at the Academy, when we were nine?"

Azula scoffed, letting go of her chin. "It was the year after Father took the throne. You really think _I_ forgot that?"

Ty Lee nodded. "That first day of class, you rode the palanquin to the grounds rather than walking, like you did in our first year." Azula stiffened, and Ty Lee felt her aura turn jet-black. "When you stepped off, and one of the silk hangings brushed your left shoulder... you _flinched._ I'd never seen you flinch, before." She took another deep breath. "I knew you too well to ask about something that you would see as a weakness, and Mai was too busy studying to even notice. But... you were hurt, physically hurt, and badly. I knew that was impossible, in a fair fight; no one your age could have hurt you, and no one older would have been stupid enough to challenge you. Your mom was gone by then, and only one person could have been punishing you-"

" _Correcting_ me." Azula cut her off, curtly. Her eyes had a glassy, dead expression, no longer focused on Ty Lee's face. "He was correcting my weakness. I showed weakness after Mother fled. I cried, because she didn't say goodbye to me the way she did to Zuko. She helped kill our grandfather to keep _Zuko_ safe, and then she disappeared in the night without a word. Later I cried, and he found out." She turned her face toward the wall. "Father gave me the same offer he would give Zuko, two years later. Except that because my weakness hadn't been public, the _Agni Kai_ didn't need to be public, either, so no one knew about it. Unlike my brother, I wasn't weak or foolish enough to refuse a fight, even if I lost." As she spoke, she undid the collar of her jacket and pulled it back from her left shoulder, revealing a burn scar stretching along her upper back.

Ty Lee felt her stomach turn. Challenging a thirteen-year-old to a Fire Duel for interrupting a meeting was brutal enough. Challenging a nine-year-old for _crying_? After losing their mother, probably forever?

"Needless to say, it didn't happen again." Azula continued, but her eyes were still alarmingly glassy, as if she was trying to shut down any sort of emotion. She yanked her jacket back into place. "I could have warned Zuzu about that, before he interrupted the war meeting two years later. But of course, by then he only listened to our fat old uncle, not to me."

"I always knew something was wrong." Ty Lee whispered. She felt her throat tightening with pity as she imagined what Azula had gone through. Her mother gone without a word when she was nine, a brother who had always been a rival, a father who praised her only when she was perfect and burned her if she was anything less. "I wanted to help you, Azula, I always did. But I didn't know how-"

"Of course you didn't." Azula snapped, turning back toward her. "You were a nine-year-old airhead who was trying to separate yourself from six siblings by constantly being cheerful."

"Yeah, and after you brushed me off enough times I knew you didn't want my pity. But when you came to me five years later, at the circus, I thought I might have another chance to reach out to you. Instead, you strong-armed me into joining you and Mai to hunt for the Avatar." Ty Lee locked eyes with Azula. "But even if you'd left the circus _without_ threatening me, I'd probably have come after you in a day or two. I pitied you for your suffering, yes, but I was also fascinated by you. How strong and relentless and brilliant you were. And I saw that there was another side of you, too. The side you let us get a glimpse of on Ember Island, even if it was only for a moment, even if you pretended it didn't exist. I wanted _that_ side to get stronger, too. I wanted to help you, because I loved you, Azula. I didn't really care whether the Fire Nation won the war, but I would have kept helping you and loving you, to the end... if you hadn't been about to kill Mai. You forced me into an impossible choice, because I loved her, too. You can't _force_ someone to choose between two people they love, not if it ends with one of them dead. And there was no contest between you and Mai, even at the height of her skill. You didn't need me to 'have your back'."

Azula's eyes narrowed angrily, but she looked away again. "I... _did_ need you. Those visions of Mother... they started right after I put you and Mai in the Boiling Rock."

"I'm sorry." Ty Lee felt the corners of her eyes getting hot. "I know that's long overdue, so I don't expect you to accept it... or understand it. And I don't expected you to apologize in return. I wouldn't have acted differently, but still... I'm sorry. I wanted to help you, and all I did was hurt you further by coming with you." She waited for a scathing response, but Azula stayed silent. "I...I need to sleep." She started to move away.

Azula's fingers found hers and squeezed them, gently but firmly.

"Ty... will you please stay with me?" Azula's voice was barely a whisper. "The tea helps my body rest, but the dreams it brings..." She broke off. "When you were holding me... it somehow brought me back. Please."

Ty Lee stared at her. She had seen Azula pretend to be weak before, when it gave her an advantage. But there was nothing feigned now. Azula was in pain, real pain... and asking for help. She never asked for help, she always tried to squash whatever problems came her way... or denied them, when they overwhelmed her.

Ty Lee wasn't going to abandon her now. She squeezed back.

* * *

"Time to go, Ty."

Ty Lee opened her eyes. The fire was out, but light was coming from the cave entrance. She sat up and turned around. Azula stood at the lip of the cave; a massive raven-eagle with a scarred face was perched on her arm. She plucked a small scroll from its' harness. "News from the battlefront. Not that I'm going to read it to you. If you're coming, collect your gear and I'll help you walk."

Ty Lee looked away. If Azula was going to pretend last night hadn't happened...well, that was entirely like her. She would never allow anyone to find a weakness. She still didn't understand that sometimes it could be worth it to be vulnerable.

Either way, it would never have been enough to distract Ty Lee from her plan. An idea had come to her, in the night. "If I go with you... what guarantee do I have that I'll be safe?"

"No one will hurt you or question you, as long as you're with me. I give you my word."

Ty Lee chuckled, mirthlessly. "And that's worth... what, exactly?"

"Have you really forgotten so quickly?" Azula stroked the bird's neck, then handed it a strip of dried meat. She turned her golden eyes to Ty Lee. "As long as you were with me, when we were hunting the Avatar, no one looked twice at you. I'm the only legitimate claimant left to the throne; Takeo needs _me_ for his plan to succeed, otherwise he and all those fools in Omori are doomed. All the ones who saw you spying are dead, and even if Takeo knew you were there, he wouldn't dare refuse me."

Ty Lee hobbled to the cave entrance, buckling on her gear as she went. As she stepped into the daylight again, she pretended to itch her wrist. Azula might be familiar with most Kiyoshi armor and equipment, but Suki had made upgrades since the war. The wrist gauntlet now included a sparker... and underneath it, strips of wood tipped with rare magnesium, used as signal flares. She slid one from under the gauntlet to the inside of her glove, then dipped her hand into her boot and retrieved the Dai Li tassel. Glancing up the slope, she saw smoke coming from the crack in the cave-roof. She was nowhere near as good a shot as Mai, but that looked within her reach. It was a good thing she was ambidextrous...

"When did you get the eagle?" As she spoke, Ty Lee scanned the skies for any sign of Fire Nation aircraft. But given the storm last night, the balloons probably weren't up yet, and Zuko would keep the airships closer to Omori itself.

"Magnificent, isn't she? I found Natsu when I came back to the Western Air Temple, at the start of my exile." Azula scanned the scroll carefully, then burned it. "She's been my hunting companion, ever since."

She pulled a scrap of paper and a piece of charcoal from her belt and scribbled a message, then slipped it into the eagle's harness. As she turned away to launch Natsu into the air, Ty Lee hastily struck a spark and lit the wooden end of her flare. She lobbed it at the smoke-hole right-handed, at the same time letting the Dai Li tassel fall from her left hand to the ground. The flare landed a few inches from the smoke-hole, then rolled behind a rock. Natsu screeched as she circled away, but when Azula turned back, the smoke was already mingling with the remains of last night's fire.

"You're going to need to help me on the steeper slopes." Ty Lee kept her eyes carefully away from the cave-top, not wanting Azula to follow her gaze. "I won't be able to climb easily with one arm."

"Here." Azula tore a strip off her cloak, fashioned a sling for Ty Lee's left arm, and pulled her right arm over her own shoulders. "We need to get going."

As they turned downhill, away from the cave, Ty Lee breathed easier. When the flames reached the magnesium, it would burn brilliant red... and hopefully, catch the eye of a balloon pilot or a scout. It wouldn't tell them much, but the tassel was something... and it was better than Azula or another enemy finding it on her later.

She wasn't sure if she considered Azula an enemy, now. An unpredictable threat, yes... but also a victim, of her parents, her ancestors and her upbringing. Last night...she _had_ changed, in the last twenty years. If a worst-case scenario happened, if Zuko were forced off the throne, could Azula be convinced to spare him?

Either way, she didn't want to see Azula broken, the way she'd been after Katara had defeated her. Ozai might have claimed the title of "Phoenix King", but it was his daughter who burned as bright as the mythical bird. If she could just be reached, somehow...

"You never told me one thing about the Boiling Rock." Ty Lee blurted out. Azula didn't bother to glance at her, but her eyebrow raised, as if amused. "When Mai defied you, you tried to kill her. When _I_ defied you to protect her, you threw both of us in prison instead."

"Mai was who she was." Azula replied. "I should have known from the beginning there was no way to mold her, but I put that aside; she didn't need to be coerced. She was already willing to embrace her darker nature." Her voice seemed to soften for a moment. "You... you were _always_ mine, from the moment you entered the Academy. You were afraid, but you were always willing to be led, to allow yourself to be expanded, to become something more than the last of seven sisters. You were to me, what that dead Kiyoshi girl was to _you_. A legacy unto oneself, someone that nobody else could take credit for building up. There was no way I was ever going to kill you."

Taken aback, Ty Lee reddened slightly and glanced away. She didn't know whether to feel flattered or repulsed. "If dominating and bullying me all my life was your idea of 'building me up'-"

"More of Mai and Zuko's words. They never understood, how harshness makes one stronger. And it made you stronger in the end, didn't it, Ty? You were willing to defy _me_ , the most powerful presence in your life. It made Zuko stronger for a while, too, but then he threw it all away after he took my throne. After he decided to find the 'balance' between mercy and ruthlessness." Azula's voice sounded almost sad. "You don't have to make the same mistake as him, Ty. I know you're trying to find a way out, but the choices are the same that they've always have been. Survival, or death."

She gestured in front of them as they came to the edge of a rocky outcrop, overlooking the coastal mountain range. In the hollow between the next two peaks, the armored towers of Omori were just barely visible. Far beyond it on the horizon, a line of dark, rounded shapes were growing larger and larger: Zuko's Air Fleet. Below them at the mouth of the fjord, the Fire Navy was no longer patrolling the coastline. The warships were steaming towards the shore, ready to deploy troops.

Ty Lee frowned. She couldn't have been unconscious long enough for the attack date to be here already... unless Zuko had changed his mind and decided to strike ahead of schedule. Which he probably had, thanks to whatever shady mission the Dai Li were carrying out in Hira'a. Her heart sank; her warning, if anyone found it, would come too late.


	10. Chapter 8: Republic City

The _thump_ of a newspaper landing on the doorstep of Katara's clinic caught Toph's ears over the grizzling of her daughter. She shifted Lin to her hip, bouncing her lightly, and poked her head around the office door. "Katara, paper's here."

"Bumi, would you grab the paper, please?" Katara called into the next room. She was seated at her desk, talking to a tall, elderly woman in a dark crimson robe.

"Wait..." Toph cocked her head sideways, listening, then smiled. She recognized the steps coming up the street. "Never mind. Sokka will be here in a moment, he'll bring it."

"Uncle Sokka!" Bumi darted through the foyer towards the front door, knocking a vase off a shelf as he went. Toph made a sharp chopping gesture with her free hand, and a steel cable lunged from the spool on her belt, snaring the vase inches from the floor.

She shook her head as Lin squirmed, grabbing for a handful of her hair. "So, I have breaking things all the time to look forward to?"

"Part of the whole package deal." Katara smirked as she came into the foyer, followed by her visitor. "Ursa, I'd love to come back to Hira'a with you next year and search for some of the herbs you've been using. They'd do wonders for some of my non-Waterbending healers."

"It would be my pleasure. But, Ikem...?"

"Will be just fine. I've healed much worse injuries than broken ribs; he just needs a few days of rest. As for the pains in his back and legs, I can offer you an alternate remedy, but I think the mugwort salves you've been using are still an excellent idea. Neither is a permanent fix, though."

"I understand, and I appreciate it." Ursa's voice sounded a little forlorn. "The one thing no one can cure: age."

"Well, we can at least make it an easier ride." Katara patted her shoulder. "This clinic might not be the ideal environment for peace and quiet, but you're both welcome to come and stay at the Air Temple with us."

At that moment, Sokka walked in, Bumi hovering at his elbow and chattering away. Katara came over to embrace him. "Sokka! Finally, I was worried when your ferry was delayed."

"No problem, sis. As I was just explaining to my illustrious nephew here, we had to take a short detour to deal with a giant _Kappa_." Sokka's voice was light and cheerful as he ruffled Bumi's hair; there was no hint of sadness over the end of his engagement. Of course, he'd learned how to keep up a positive front early in life, so that didn't say much. "Every good voyage needs an epic battle with a sea monster-"

"You're worse than Aang."

"You just don't appreciate the value of a good story!" Sokka protested. Bumi dropped the newspaper on Katara's desk and returned to Sokka's side, waiting expectantly for his attention.

"You've known that about her since the two of of you were toddlers." Toph remarked, dryly. "Did you really expect that would randomly change, some day?"

Sokka spun around, his voice lighting up with surprise and pleasure. "Toph! I didn't expect to see you here-"

"What, because I had a baby? You know I've never been the stay-at-home type." Toph smirked.

"Well, I just figured you carried her around on your back, while you were rounding up the Triads." Sokka joked, sticking out his hand to stroke Lin's cheek. "What is she, five months?"

"Almost six."

"Can I hold her?"

"If you don't mind a bit of noise." Toph shrugged and extended her arms, cradling Lin carefully. "She doesn't usually take kindly to strangers-"

"Aww, I don't count as a stranger!" Sokka scooped Lin up, rocking her gently back and forth. To Toph's surprise, Lin's pulse didn't quicken with anxiety; she made a soft cooing noise, then settled into Sokka's arms.

"Wow, that was fast." Toph felt just slightly envious. "You used to _hate_ babies- they repulsed you almost as much as Aang and Katara kissing." A small dollop of water smacked her on the back of the head. "You know I'm right, Katara."

"Being an uncle three times over makes them _kinda_ grow on you." Sokka shrugged; he nudged Bumi, who giggled. "Great to be back in Republic City, anyway. Where are Kya and Tenzin?"

"Aang's with them, back at the temple, but he should be here shortly. Bumi's been helping me around the clinic today, good son that he is-"

Ursa cleared her throat, and Katara spun around. "My apologies! Sokka, you remember Zuko's mom, Ursa? She and Ikem are here for a healing."

"Of course." Sokka bowed his head to her, and Ursa returned the gesture. "Healing for what?"

Katara turned to her oldest. "Bumi, do you mind checking to see if anyone needs supplies on the second floor? We need to re-stock the bandaging ward."

"And don't think that listening outside the door is going to work." Toph poked him in the shoulder as he passed her. "I'll know if you're there."

Bumi suppressed another giggle. Toph's ability to sense his presence was actually to his benefit; she often let him eavesdrop anyway, much to Katara's annoyance. As soon as he went through the doors to the bandaging ward, Ursa turned to Sokka. "Ikem was injured, trying to help people escape from the attack on Hira'a."

"Better check the paper." Toph used her cable to snag the newspaper from the desk, tossing it to Katara. " They might have an update-"

"Whoa, whoa, back up." Sokka sounded startled. "For those of us who have been stuck in the Southern Water Tribe for the last four months, _what_ attack on Hira'a?"

"A group of Earthbenders attacked Hira'a, a week ago. Ikem was trying to distract them while the civilians fled; he was fool enough to go after them with prop _dao_ swords." Ursa's exasperation didn't hide her worry. "He was lucky that all he suffered was broken ribs. Many of our neighbors had worse injuries, a few were killed. Luckily, the Home Guard were arriving with medical supplies before we left for Republic City." Ursa gestured around the entrance of Katara's clinic. "It's a pity we don't have healing facilities like this in the Fire Nation, Katara. This place is a wonder, in organization, resources and research."

"Thank you, Ursa-"

" _Attacked_ Hira'a?" Sokka was still baffled. "From where?"

"They were wearing uniforms from Omashu. Very skilled benders, from what I saw. We were lucky that they only made one surprise attack, then fled; we wouldn't have survived a second wave."

"Omashu's been pretty quiet, since the election." Toph interjected. "I know King Ariq is an isolationist with a grudge against anyone from the Fire Nation, but I didn't think he'd be stupid enough to _attack_ Zuko's parents."

"That's why we came here." Ursa wrung her hands together. "It wasn't just to get Ikem the best healer available. Zuko wanted us on neutral ground, in case it _does_ become open war. He's sent an ultimatum to Ariq and a complaint to the Earth King. Now, everyone's waiting to see which way Kuei will jump-"

"I think I just found the answer to that one." Katara held up the paper. "'Earth King enraged by the presence of Fire Nation Airships over Omashu.' _Spirits_. If Zuko's already rattling his sword at Ariq, the Council of Five will probably convince Kuei to ...Oh, no!"

"What is it?" Toph was a bit irritated, as she always was when anything _written_ entered the conversation.

"It says that Kuei's daughter, Princess Hou-Ting, was abducted six days ago, only a day after the Hira'a attack. Kuei's officially accusing the Fire Lord of being behind it, and he's calling on his vassals to mobilize."

Ursa gasped. "Ridiculous! Zuko would never use children as hostages!"

Sokka cleared his throat. "I can't quite agree with you on the word _never_. When Zuko first came to the South Pole during his exile, hunting for Aang, he threatened our entire village to coerce Aang into surrendering; nearly half of those people _were_ children." He shrugged. "But, to be fair, he didn't actually capture or harm any of them, and he kept his word; once Aang surrendered, he left us alone. Besides, Zuko isn't an angsty, banished teenager anymore; he's been committed to peace and protecting his people since the end of the war. And he's got some good advisers in his own family: Mai, Iroh..."

"It's that 'protecting his people' part that worries me, though." Toph frowned. "Remember the Battle of Yu Dao? That happened only a few miles from _here_. Now, I don't believe Zuko would have ordered that kidnapping, but when he hears that Ba Sing Se is lining up against him now, on top of the Hira'a incident, it won't be pretty. He's always had a temper, even if it's better controlled these days."

Ursa shook her head. "All I know is that there _were_ Earthbenders in Hira'a, only a day before this 'kidnapping' happened-"

" _Relax_ , Ursa. I already know you're telling the truth." Toph patted her shoulder. "But King Kuei doesn't have the political experience Zuko does, that's why he's always letting those warmongers in the Council of Five turn him into a doormat. Still, he's been willing to listen to Aang and the other world leaders... as long as it's face-to-face. We need Kuei to meet with Zuko now and figure out what the Hell's going on, before it escalates into an all-out war."

Sokka chuckled. "Not usual of _you_ to take the diplomatic approach, Toph- especially given what Katara's told me about your latest crusade against the Triads."

"This isn't about a few petty gangs." Toph narrowed her eyes. "This is about stopping a war between the world's two strongest nations before it starts. What can I say, you and Aang _did_ rub off on me... well, a little."

"The United Republic sits directly between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, with interests that are important to both." Sokka brightened. "Why not invite Zuko, Ariq and Kuei to come to Republic City for an emergency summit?"

"We could, if we could actually get _a hold_ of them." Katara rubbed her temples wearily. "We've had correspondence with the Earth Kingdom, but it hasn't been helpful. Kuei's refusing to leave Ba Sing Se until there's news of Hou-Ting, and Ariq refuses to leave Omashu unless the Fire Nation airships withdraw. Meanwhile, Aang's been writing Zuko letter after letter, but he hasn't gotten an answer yet. _My_ last letter from the Fire Nation was Mai's request for us to shelter Ursa and Ikem; she's acting as sole Regent of the Fire Nation right now, which means Zuko's probably on some intelligence mission or military exercise."

"She didn't tell you herself?"

"Nope, she was pretty vague. But that's nothing new, from what we know of Mai. She never gives away more than she has to. Aang's been talking about flying straight to the Fire Nation to figure out what's going on; he's also taken an indefinite leave of absence from the Council meetings for the next month, in case Zuko and Kuei ask for his diplomatic help."

Toph felt a twinge of irritation. Aang hadn't mentioned his upcoming absence from the Council to her. "Well, if no one's actually fighting each other yet, there's still a chance for diplomacy." She nudged Sokka. "Something _you_ have a lot of recent experience in, Sokka. How has your work with your Dad been going?"

Sokka laughed, but it sounded a little forced. "Well...a lot of pressure, lately. He's thinking of stepping down from the chieftaincy of the Southern Tribe." He handed Lin back to Toph as she began to wriggle. "I thought he'd stay in office longer, but he says he wants to retire while he can still teach youngsters to ice-dodge. Claims that's a more important rite of passage than running our country!"

"Well, he's held that position an awfully long time." Katara shrugged. "His last letter said he wanted _you_ to run for the position of chief. How do you feel about that?"

Toph frowned again, surprised she hadn't heard anything about this. Granted, she couldn't read letters, but it was the sort of thing Katara would have mentioned; no longer living in her homeland, she loved discussing anything to do with it. She'd probably just been trying to give her brother space since his split with Suki.

Sokka sounded slightly embarrassed. "Well... there _are_ a lot of people in the South who say they think I should be chief. But I'm not so sure that's going to be best for the Southern Tribe, in the long run. If the son of the previous chief is chosen as leader, it defeats what separates us from the Northern Tribe, to begin with: we have _elected_ leaders, not hereditary ones."

"Sokka, no one's going to accuse you of being a Royalist." Toph waved her hand hastily in Ursa's direction. "No offense, Ursa."

"None taken." Ursa replied. "I wasn't _born_ into a Royal House, after all."

Toph suddenly sensed a pair of light feet on the street outside. She opened her mouth, but a gust of wind blew the door open before she could speak. Aang came into the room, tilting his head sideways to prevent his eleven-month-old son, Tenzin, from yanking on his beard. Kya tailed him in, running toward Sokka as soon as she saw him.

Sokka roared with laughter as he scooped up his niece. "That's what you get for not going _clean-_ shaving again, Aang. Take it from me, if they can't reach what's on top, they'll just go for the chin."

"You're hardly one to talk." Aang grunted. "What are you still doing with that hideous goatee?"

"Hey! I'll have you know this is considered _very_ stylish, down south."

"You said the same thing for years, about that wolf-tail topknot." Katara laughed as she took Tenzin from Aang so he could greet Ursa. The noblewoman returned his greeting briefly, then excused herself and headed back to her husband's room.

"Any word from Zuko, love?" Katara pecked Aang's cheek.

"I might as well take the kids out of here, for that." Toph interrupted. "Bumi's already heard enough."

Aang let out a mock groan. Katara turned toward the doors leading to the bandaging ward and raised her voice. "Bumi, you've got five seconds to get away from that door before I hit it with a water whip."

There was a snicker and a pattering of feet on the other side. Sokka set Kya on the floor and crouched at her level. "Kya, will you do something for Uncle Sokka?" Kya nodded, grinning. "Go after your brother and wait for me in the lounge. Freeze him to a chair if you have to. As soon as I'm done talking with your Mom and Dad, the three of us are going fishing."

"Hang on." Toph tapped her foot on the ground, feeling the vibrations through the different levels of the clinic, and shook her head. "Actually, you won't need to go looking for Bumi, Kya- he's already heading to the lounge anyway." She adjusted Lin, who was starting to whimper. "I'll go with them; Lin's getting hungry, anyway."

"I can fill you in quickly before you go-"

"No, thanks." Toph barely concealed her irritation. She put her free hand on Kya's shoulder and marched her through the first-floor corridor. As they walked, Toph frowned; Kya's heartbeat was increasing rapidly, as if she was afraid. Then she realized her frustration was showing through her grip on the girl's shoulder, and let go hastily. "Sorry, Kya. Not angry with you, just having a rough time."

Kya glanced up at her. "Do you and Lin want to go fishing with us?"

Toph laughed and tweaked the girl's nose. "That sounds fantastic, kiddo, but I don't do well on boats. And besides, I'm gonna be busy tonight with your mum; she's filling your Dad's spot in the council, 'cause he's going on a trip."

"Where?"

Toph shrugged. "I dunno, Kya."

That was partly why she was frustrated with Aang. After their little argument, and his prior encounter with those two gangsters, she'd hoped he'd be more committed to helping her battle the Triads. His absence at the Council tonight was only going to make things more difficult. Katara did just fine when she occasionally filled her husband's seat, and her view on the Triads was closer to Toph's than Aang's was. But the other Council members were used to treating the Avatar as their unofficial leader. If he wasn't there, there was going to be a lot of division and opposition to Toph's proposals. Especially since this was her first meeting since Lin had been born, and she was still uncertain about leaving her. Luckily, Toph's parents had been kind enough to look after their granddaughter for the evening; they were in town for a few days, touring Air Temple Island.

When Toph and Kya reached the lounge, Bumi was sprawled across a sofa, writing a letter. Taking Sokka's advice to heart, Kya bent some water from a pitcher and started trying to freeze his rear end to the cushions, much to her brother's protests. Finding an armchair in the corner, Toph unbuttoned her collar and adjusted her tunic so she could nurse Lin, whose whimper had risen to a squall. "Shhh." She whispered softly, as the baby took hold. " _There_ we go- _ow._ So, you liked Uncle Sokka, huh? He's someone everybody likes, once they get to know him."

At that moment, Sokka wandered around the corner. He gave a startled yelp, and hastily turned around. "Whoa, sorry! Didn't mean to-"

"What are you babbling about?" Toph snickered. "Unless you're _still_ a virgin, which I find next to impossible, there's nothing here you haven't seen before. Did Aang give an excuse for being gone for the next month?"

Sokka kept his head turned away. "Er... yeah. He's packing to head straight to the Earth Kingdom, then the Fire Nation."

"Ah." Toph felt her irritation deflate, but only slightly. She knew stopping the war between the two largest nations was a higher priority than gangsters. Still, she worried that Aang's absence might make the Triads bolder. But then again, that was why _she_ was gradually phasing out of maternity leave. "Wonder what got him off his rear this time? He hasn't intervened in international politics in _years_."

"Apparently, some White Lotus guy called Xai Bau gave him a warning in the Spirit World." Sokka shrugged. "I kinda tuned out after that. My understanding of the Spirit World doesn't go far."

"Me, neither. But it's handy that Aang can use it for long-distance communication." Toph rotated her foot sideways, and the stone floor rippled, moving a chair under Sokka's legs. "So... how are you, _really_ , Sokka?"

Sokka turned back to her, but his tone was evasive. "I'm... doing fine. Like I told you, confused about what to do about the Chieftaincy when Dad steps down, but otherwise-"

"I meant, about Suki."

"...What's to tell? Things are fine, I'm moving on-"

"Wan Shi Tong was right. You _are_ a terrible liar."

Sokka gave a forced laugh. "That bad, huh?"

"I could have caught that one _without_ my seismic sense." Toph's sarcastic tone softened. She hadn't meant to kick him when he was down, he was such a lovable goofball. "I'm sorry, Sokka. I know what it's like to suddenly end a long-term relationship. Satoru and I thought about marrying for a few years, before we realized it wasn't working."

"Yeah?" Sokka's tone briefly turned bitter. "It get any easier to see him, overtime?"

Toph paused."...Yeah, it does, a little. You just need time, and a drive to keep yourself busy. Work and family always help." She nudged his shin with her foot. "Looks like you're already figuring that out, though, so just keep doing what you're doing."

Sokka rubbed his leg. "Yeah... sounds like I'm going to be babysitting for an _extended_ period. Katara's joining Aang in the diplomatic circuit for a few days, after tonight's Council meeting; she'll take Tenzin with her, but Kya and Bumi are staying here."

" _Great_." Toph rolled her eyes. Lin had dozed off, and Toph readjusted her tunic and put the baby to her shoulder, patting her back gently. "Well, if you _really_ aren't interested in that Chieftaincy, you might consider running to fill one of the Council seats. It'd be nice to have another person I can _work_ with, in this city."

Sokka chuckled. "I know politics are messy, but I would've thought you'd _like_ getting to argue with people all the time."

"Yeah, well... not when lives are on the line. And with Aang and Katara gone, the bodies are only gonna keep piling up... unless my proposal tonight gets results."

* * *

Toph had to stop herself from yawning when they arrived at the Council Hall. There were meant to be five governing representatives on the Council, including Aang, but since Katara was filling in for him today, three of those five would be Water Tribe. The other two were on their feet already, bickering so furiously you could have cut the tension with a knife.

The representative of the Southern Water Tribe, Oyuki, turned and clasped Katara's hand as they entered. "Katara, Chief Beifong. Thank you for coming, hopefully you and the Avatar can help us resolve this disaster-."

" _Disaster_?" Sneered Yaou, her Earth Kingdom counterpart, from across the table. "If by 'disaster' you're referring to the Fire Nation's blatant aggression against Omashu, then yes, there's a disaster! Whatever the spat between Omashu and the Fire Lord's little resort town, Ba Sing Se had nothing to do with it, but the Earth King and I will _certainly_ respond to an ally's call for help, as we did at Yu Dao-"

"What, by betraying the United Republic's status as neutral ground?!" Tanken, the Fire National, shot back. " You'll notice that Kuei is the one mobilizing, not Fire Lord Zuko!"

"You think we'll buy your 'peaceful intentions', just because the Fire Nation hasn't landed on Earth Kingdom soil yet? Has _anyone_ noticed that the Fire Nation hasn't been carrying out as many drills and patrols along its' borders, within the last year? Planning some detailed surprise attack, are you? The difference is, _this_ time we're ready for you."

"By having every Triad in Republic City smuggle war munitions away from the United Forces and sneak them into the Earth Kingdom?" Tanken folded her arms smugly. "That's the only way your army will match the Fire Lord's!"

"I'm guessing this has been going on since the start of the meeting?" Katara muttered dryly to Oyuki as she slid into her seat.

"With occasional breaks."

Katara flicked her arm outward, striking the miniature bronze gong at the center of the table with a water tendril. The single note reverberated through the room, silencing the inflamed council members.

"Aang regrets to inform you that he will abstain from this meeting. He's on his way to the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, to try and resolve this crisis. I'll be joining him, shortly." Katara's voice was stern as she glanced at the Earth and Fire representatives. "So, I _strongly_ suggest you contain your emotions and leave diplomacy to your national leaders and their _actual foreign ministers._ Your job is to serve the United Republic, not get it dragged into a war that no one wants."

" _She's_ hardly one to talk." Tanken muttered under her breath to her assistant, but Toph heard every word. "She's not elected or appointed to _any_ office, yet she's always involved in diplomacy- because she's friends with every foreign leader, and _married_ to one."

Toph gritted her teeth. When people acted _this_ petty, just because someone had a better idea for the greater good than they did, she had to fight not to slap sense into them. She lashed one of her cables, scraping it rapidly across the gong; the shriek of metal on metal caused all the council members to clap their hands over their ears. "And yet, in spite of her lack of 'office', Katara's done more for international peace in one year of her life than you'll achieve in a _decade_ , Tanken. You're fanning the flames, literally; she puts them out and heals the wounded." She pointed a finger at Yaou as he opened his mouth. "And before you start on Zuko being the _aggressor_ at Yu Dao, I'll remind you, as one of _several_ witnesses, what happened in the Southern Water Tribe, two years after Yu Dao. Remember that little summit where Hakoda asked for the other world leaders' help? Zuko offered to help the Southern Tribe's reconstruction right away; Kuei had to figure out whether they were "worth the investment" first, and he stopped funding the project only two years later. And when Kuei was kidnapped during that same summit by Gilak's rebels, Zuko put himself personally at risk to get the Earth King to safety."

Yaou's voice became sheepish, but he kept blustering. "It could be a long-term conspiracy-"

"Oh, for _Spirits'_ sake!" Toph snapped. "What is wrong with you people?! Zuko's not accusing the Earth King of anything, nor has he fired at Omashu! It's a serious thing that Kuei's daughter was kidnapped, but no one's taking credit yet! And there's no _sane_ motive for Zuko to kidnap her- he's already been very direct in his warning against Omashu. Unlike this kidnapping, what happened in Hira'a has witnesses. You get us some of those, rather than making biased accusations, and we'll start listening. Until then, sit down and shut up."

Yaou's breathing and heart rate suggested he wanted to argue further, but he finally sat down. Kivi, the Council member from the Northern Water Tribe, cleared his throat. "Moving on to the more _immediate_ issue, if we could? If this conflict does escalate into a war, the Earth and Fire council members will probably be recalled- leaving us with only three council members to attend day-to-day business."

"We managed before." Oyuki shrugged.

"True, but the people who are culturally and ethnically connected to the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation will feel under-represented, or they may feel a deeper loyalty to their home country-"

"What do you mean, their 'home country'?" Katara interrupted, irritably. "The original immigrants _came_ to the United Republic because they saw better chances _here,_ and they've never turned back, in spite of our appalling crime rate. And their children were born in the United Republic, not the Four Nations; they hold no loyalty to the Fire Lord or the Earth King."

"But they _do_ retain most of their culture. Some of them rather rigidly, I might add. There's been intermarriage between a _few_ families, but for the most part the communities remain separate outside of the workers in the factories. The only organization that really links them together across ethnic and cultural lines, besides the factories, is..."

Toph rolled her eyes. "Let me guess: the Triple Threat Triad?"

"Well... yes, unfortunately."

"Are you suggesting that, by getting as many of those _thieves_ and _murderers_ off the streets as possible, _I'm_ feeding the division of Republic City?" Her voice sharpened again. She stepped onto the dais at the center of the horseshoe-shaped table. "Consider your words carefully, Kivi. Deputy Chief Hei'an and his officers just caught three Triple Threats the other night, trying to smuggle machine parts onto a cargo ship- machine parts that could be modified to build combat vehicles. Any guesses where that ship was headed?"

Kivi's voice became cold and clipped, but unlike the other two he didn't lose his cool. "I'm neither on the police force, nor associated in any way with those barbarians, Chief Beifong. Why don't you just tell me?"

"The Earth Kingdom port of Mo Ce Zhen... which is under the jurisdiction of Omashu." Toph ignored Yaou's exclamation of surprise. "The Triple Threats don't care about creating unity, but they don't feel loyalty to any of the Four Nations, either- so, of course they're going to sell equipment to _both_ sides. They're after grabbing whatever profits come out of this conflict, regardless of who wins. And it won't be us, not while we're sitting here squabbling." She turned to the other members of the Council. "My officers are spread too thin, even if I'm ending my maternity leave early. And if the Triads find and recruit their own Metalbenders outside of my Academy, we lose our main advantage. The way I see it, you've got three choices. One, do nothing. Whether there's a war or not, the Triads will keep robbing factories for parts and starting street fights along ethnic lines. Two: mobilize the United Forces to declare martial law until this conflict is resolved. That won't be popular, either with your respective governments or the people of the United Republic. Three: pass a decree giving me leave to expand my police force beyond the trainees at my Academy. Also, tightening restrictions on bending, especially after dark."

"Why would more police and restrictions on bending be less unpopular than declaring martial law?" Tanken scoffed. "Seventeen years ago, your father tried to ban bending on the streets, and our city was almost destroyed in the resulting riots! Benders might be a minority here, but they're very vocal about their right to use their Elements, even those who aren't part of the Triads."

"Tanken has a point." Oyuki interjected. "Since most of the benders here have been forced out of the heavy industries, they've often used their bending to make a living- particularly the ones playing that new sport that's becoming so popular, 'pro-bending.'"

"Doesn't matter." Toph's voice was as hard as the stone under her feet. "We need regulations in place, if we want our kids to be safe. I know that my dad's measure was misguided at the time, but now it's a lot more serious. The Triads are going to be emboldened by all this turmoil, especially since both the Avatar _and_ our best Healer and Waterbender will be gone for an extended period of time. I'm not advocating the end of pro-bending, that's something that brings people together. But bystanders keep mistaking pro-benders on the streets for a Triad attack, and call the cops unnecessarily. Pro-bending _does_ need to be controlled and regulated, so it doesn't disrupt day-to-day activities. And we need more benders on the police force. The Triads specifically target nonbenders; if they get into a tussle with benders, either alone or in a group, they usually retreat. Restricting bending after-hours will give benders incentive to look for work at the police precinct."

Oyuki was nodding thoughtfully, but Kivi wasn't buying it. He cleared his throat. "This is not what Avatar Aang would be advocating, if he was here-"

" _Avatar Aang_ is perfectly confident with me filling his spot." Katara shot back. "Even if my views aren't always the same as his. We've trusted Toph's judgement since the Hundred Year War, and she's been keeping the peace here since the United Republic was founded. She knows this city, better than any of you." She passed several sheets of paper around the table." Here's a draft of Toph's proposal. If it passes, you can always vote to modify it later-"

"We still need to vote _now_." Kivi replied, curtly. "I, for one, believe the Council is adequately protected with the United Forces; I don't even need to read this proposal to tell you that I reject it. An embargo on the goods of the aggressive powers would accomplish more, send a message that we will keep the peace _without_ joining the fighting-"

"All that would accomplish, would be to hurt the United Republic's economy." Tanken interrupted. "Republic City would lose half it's sea trade and nearly _all_ its' land trade. And the Triads would keep smuggling and selling protection, embargo or not; it might even drive up their prices." She sighed. "I hate to admit it, but... Beifong's right. I vote in favor."

Surprised but pleased, Toph turned on Yaou. Would he vote against her, out of spite for his Fire Nation counterpart?

But when Yaou spoke, his voice was firm and steady. "...My son is a nonbender. He was telling me the other day, that he can't go through Dragon Flats without being harassed by Terra Triad members. Chief Beifong was right about one thing: we do what we have to, if we want our children safe. I vote in favor."

"As do I." Katara rapped the gong with her water tendril again. "Motion has gained a majority of three-"

"This is a farce!" Kivi snapped, standing up. "You're not even a regular council member, let alone elected! Moreover, the final vote has not been counted-"

"It has _now_." Oyuki interrupted him sharply. "I grew up with Katara in the Southern Water Tribe, during the war; our people were fighting the Fire Nation's tyranny and living under elected leadership from the beginning. Meanwhile, your Northern monarchy _hid_ behind its' wall of ice. I vote in favor. The majority of three votes has been reached; the measure is passed."

* * *

Katara rested her hand on her friend's shoulder. "You showed _them_ a thing or two."

"Yeah, well I appreciate the backup, Sugar Queen." Toph chuckled. "I thought you'd be more on Aang's side. I mean, I know he's getting pulled in a lot of directions at once-"

"Not a good enough excuse. His goals are fine, but it's all very well to tell people they should always avoid violence when you're the most powerful bender in the world-"

Toph suddenly threw out her arm, and Katara stopped. Most of the usual night sounds were muffled by the snowfall, but her acute hearing should have caught _some_ of them. The streets were eerily silent, but Toph wasn't fooled. A familiar pattern of vibrations was coming from the surrounding blocks- the slow, cautious shifting of feet, the quickening of breath- that signaled an oncoming attack. Then, she heard a faint _hiss_ as the gas-powered streetlamps ahead of them were doused, almost certainly with Waterbending.

She'd been half-expecting this, since the meeting's issue was public; just not so soon. She should have known better than to come through Dragon Flats. But even if the Council hadn't announced its' decision publicly, word of it would have gotten back to the Triads by the end of the day. And if she hadn't marched through their territory like nothing was wrong, the Triads would have gotten the impression that she was afraid of their reprisals. Besides, with Katara as her backup, she didn't need to worry.

Toph flexed her fingers, and the steel visor of her helmet snapped shut over her face. Katara bent a large globule of water from her belt-pouch, letting it hover at the ready over her shoulder.

"Police Chief Beifong. Welcome back from your... extended vacation." An oily voice drawled from a rooftop across the street. "Just heard about your little chat with the Council. Brave move, especially since you don't have the Avatar as your backup right now. I also heard he's going out of town for a few days."

Toph cocked her head, listening carefully to the target's breathing and heartbeat. He was tall and thin... the accent sounded Water Tribe, but a different dialect than Katara's, more like Kivi, the Nothern Tribe Council member. She hadn't heard this voice before, but she didn't need to guess who it was.

"Yakone, is it? I know exactly where all _twelve_ of your thugs are, so there's no point in trying to take us by surprise. Why don't you come down here and talk to me yourself?"

Yakone let out a raspy laugh. "They weren't kidding about your seismic sense. Impressive. But, no, I think I'll stay up here for now. My face doesn't need to be described in one of your records, yet."

"Then here's another idea. How 'bout I drag you down into the street, so Katara can get a look at your ugly mug anyway?" Toph spun around and launched the left cable on her belt, snaring the arm of a short, heavyset man lifting a sizable flame to his shoulder; it was Shinzo, a low-level thug she had arrested before. She thrust her fist downward, and the cable yanked Shinzo forward as it reeled in, dragging him to Toph's feet. She looped the slack around his other wrist and a lamp-post, clipped the end off the cable and turned back toward Yakone's perch. "Now that you've made the first move in what I'm assuming is attempted assault, I can arrest you by association. You might dodge the sentence in court, but it guarantees that your face will be in my records, tonight. You either go home, nice and friendly, or you all end up hanging by your ankles from the streetlamps." She nudged Katara and muttered, "Can you see him, at all?"

"Nope." Katara whispered back, glancing back and forth. "Just a Waterbender and an Earthbender, ahead of us. I've got them."

"Kinda what I expected, boss." Another voice, barely a teenager, standing to Yakone's right. "She still doesn't get how we do things."

"Oh, she will, Zolt. Soon enough." Yakone clapped him on the shoulder. "You mind doing the honors?"

"My pleasure." The muscular youth swaggered to the edge of the rooftop. Toph felt a slight change in temperature as he ignited a fireball above his hand.

She shook her head disdainfully. "So afraid of me that you're letting your underling do your dirty work, rather than face me head-on? _Cowardice_ alongside a murder attempt won't teach the council a lesson, it'll enrage them against you."

Yakone didn't react to the taunt, and Zolt simply chuckled. "We got no plans to kill you, Chief Beifong... yet. This is meant to be a lesson to _you_ , not to the Council." He snapped his fingers, then hurled the fireball at Katara as the other Triads began leaping from the rooftops and alleyways.

Toph lifted her leg and brought her foot down sharply on the cobblestones. The ground rippled rapidly outwards from the impact point, knocking six Triads off their feet. Three of the Earthbenders had sense enough to create stone pedestals and anchor themselves, but their brief distraction allowed Toph to launch rock wedges at two of them, scoring hits to the solar plexus and forehead. She snagged the third with her cable, flipped her onto her stomach, and encased her torso and limbs in earth. Retracting the cable and ripping a length of metal piping off the nearest building, she spun them both in front of her, deflecting the attacks of a Firebender and two Waterbenders who were back on their feet. More projectiles were coming from the roof above her, as another Triad closed in.

Wary of the Waterbenders using snow to trip her, Toph hastily encased her feet in stone so they couldn't break her stance. It was harder for her to sense water and fire projectiles, but the Triads themselves were easy to locate. She brought her hand up, clenched her fingers into a fist, then jerked it to her waist. A section of the building suddenly collapsed into the street, raining bricks on the Triads below and toppling the one on the roof. The restrained Earthbender had broken herself free, but instead of fighting she erected a slanted rock barrier, struggling to deflect the falling debris and shield her injured comrades. Toph knew it was harsh, but the building had been empty and she hadn't aimed to kill; besides, the Triads weren't innocent. Stepping away from the collapse, she turned to check on her friend.

Katara was making short work of the other two Firebenders. Even combined, they didn't have half her power or skill, and the proximity to the Winter Solstice meant their bending was at it's low ebb, while Katara's was at its' peak. Rotating her hands to create a whirlpool in mid-air, she deflected a barrage of flaming missiles, then condensed the water into a coil, seized the younger Firebender's wrists and froze them to the wall. The other one launched another barrage at her exposed side, but she lashed the coil at him like a whip, absorbing his attack mid-swing and knocking him backward. Springing up, the thug altered his tactics, launching an arc of flame at her with a roundhouse kick. As she deflected it he advanced on her, bobbing and weaving, a fire-dagger igniting over each fist. Katara simply pulled further water from the snow around her feet and launched a hail of ice-pellets at him from all sides, peppering his arms, face and torso. Swatting feebly at the onslaught, he staggered away and fled.

The younger Firebender managed to melt his restraints and tried to hit Katara from behind with a fire-whip, but Toph tapped the ground with her foot, throwing off his aim mid-swing. Katara spun, snared his wrists with a water coil again and slammed him against the wall, knocking him out. As Toph turned back toward the real threat, she sensed two sets of rapid vibrations descending the side of the building; Yakone and Zolt were fleeing the scene. She glanced back at Katara, who was now busy dealing with a Waterbender and an Earthbender.

"Go after him!" Katara barked, clipping the Earthbender under the jaw with an ice projectile. "I have these kids under control, go!"

Toph bent the cobblestones under her feet like a conveyor belt, rolling rapidly down the street. She hadn't sensed Yakone bend yet, but she had experience against Northern Waterbending tactics, courtesy of Katara. Sensing the exit Yakone and Zolt were going for, she swiped a knife-hand to raise a high stone barrier, cutting them off as she rounded the corner. Zolt turned quickly and hurled a fireball at her, but she ducked and kicked a stone wedge back at him, hitting him squarely in the temple. He collapsed on his knees, dazed.

"You could do with training your new recruits a little better." She addressed Yakone, who didn't turn around. "The crew you used to clear out this neighborhood was twice as tough as any of these. Where are your _real_ soldiers, still busy smuggling war munitions across the border?" Without waiting for an answer, she raised her arm and thrust her hand forward, launching her cable-

An agonizing pain ripped through her entire body, instantly. It was as if every vein was being yanked in different directions at once, as if her blood was on fire. Her nerves registered the pain, but refused to do anything other than twitch; the cable that she used as an extension of her arm, unraveled limply on the ground. Her left arm twisted behind her back, her right contorted so violently she thought her bones would snap. And then she realized what was happening, even though she'd never experienced it before.

Yakone was a Bloodbender.

Then, she felt her feet lift off the ground. It was just like when she'd been on the airship during Sozin's Comet, only worse. At least then, Sokka had managed to grab her hand before she could plummet to her death. This time, there was nothing to anchor her. Nothing solid for her to feel with her hands or feet, even though they weren't obeying her anyway.

Her body rotated, until she was hanging upside down. Through the haze of pain, she felt the faintest air current on her fingers and feet, suggesting she was moving forward, but she couldn't tell where- until she heard Yakone's voice, whispering right next to her ear.

"Take a lesson from the other Triads, Chief Beifong. The Jenamites, the Red Monsoons, even those Agni Kai fools. They backed down once they saw my vision for the future, and the good it would do Republic City. The good it will do their children. I assume you want the best opportunities for your daughter, too? Then again, children are _terribly_ vulnerable when they're young."

 _Touch her and I'll rip your throat out,_ Toph wanted to snarl, but the blood vessels in her jaw kept it clamped shut. She could feel the veins and arteries constricting and writhing within her muscles, her lungs. All it would take was a gesture, and she'd be dead.

"You and I really ought to be working together. We both want this country to become something more than what it is, now: a handful of factions fighting each other for scraps. The only difference between mine and yours, is that you wear a _uniform_." Yakone chuckled. "Right now, there's just one thing really standing in the way of my vision, besides that stick-in-the-mud Council. The current head of the Triple Threats is too shortsighted, and his retirement is coming sooner than he thinks. If you want order in Republic City, I'm your best chance-"

From somewhere nearby there was a shout, a hiss of rapid-moving water, and a splashing impact, followed by a thud and a grunt of pain. Yakone's Bloodbending grip vanished instantly; Toph dropped to the ground, landing hard. Dazed, she ripped the helmet off her head, sucked in a huge breath and took a second to evaluate her surroundings. Zolt, the Firebending teenager, had darted through the doorway of a building. Katara's boots were pounding up the street, the snow along the cobbles molding into ice projectiles at her command. Without pausing, she launched them at Yakone, who was already back on his feet. Instead of fighting back, he rolled sideways to evade the missiles, melted the snow underneath him into a current, and used it to sweep over the top of the wall Toph had conjured. The sound of rushing water receded rapidly...

"Toph? _Toph._ " Katara's voice was urgent. "Are you okay? I saw what he was doing to you. He's a-"

"I know what he is, Katara." Toph waved away her hand as she rose shakily to her feet. "The question is, _how_? Bloodbending is something that's impossible without a full moon-"

"As far as we _know_." Katara shuddered. "I've never tried to access it outside of the full moon, and I don't intend to use it again. Obviously, Yakone doesn't have the same scruples. But who could have taught him? Bloodbending has never existed in the Northern Water Tribe, and the only benders from the _Southern_ Tribe who ever learned it were Hama and me-"

"Hama taught herself, though, didn't she? And she didn't _teach_ you, she forced you into unlocking it, under desperate circumstances. Just like I unlocked Metalbending under desperate circumstances." Toph's skin was crawling. For a second, she was still dangling helplessly in the air... "Please tell me you got a look at his face when you broke his Bloodbending grip." If she didn't have something concrete on Yakone _now_ , he would stay in the wind.

Katara shook her head. "I was focused on getting him away from you, and it was too dark, anyway." She held out her hand again, water congealing against her palms. "I don't know if more of them might come. Can you walk? If anything's damaged, I can heal it quickly as long as it's not bones-"

"I'm _fine_." Toph slapped her hand away, then caught herself. "I'm okay, Katara. Tell me there's a boat nearby. I need to get to Air Temple Island."

"What for?" Katara bent the water back into her belt-pouch and put her hand on Toph's shoulder. "If you were still on active duty, your first instinct would have been to book those kids and bring them in for questioning-"

"I don't care. My parents and Lin are there. I need to be with Lin."

Katara recognized her tone and nodded. "...I'll take you."

Ten minutes later, they were on a small sampan, Katara jet-propelling them across the bay. Toph knew Katara was giving it everything she had, but the impulse to bark _"Faster!"_ at her friend hovered at the back of her throat. Yakone was probably retreating... but he might also have been moving on to his next target. If he was as skilled as Katara- and the fact that he could Bloodbend meant that he might be- he could reach Air Temple Island just as quickly, and without the White Lotus sentries seeing him coming. And If he could Bloodbend without the full moon, he would always be able to threaten Lin.

 _Faster_.

* * *

Toph raced through the gates, past the gabled spire of the temple, into the hallway that led to the living quarters. Katara followed her, shooing startled Air Acolytes back to their beds, alerting White Lotus guards about a possible attack, and trying to reassure her. Toph heard her words faintly, but didn't acknowledge them. Rushing around a corner, she ran straight into Sokka. He caught hold of her shoulders, reflexively.

"Whoa, Toph! Easy, I'm off-balance from being on a boat all day!" He noticed her face. "Hey, wait, are you okay?"

"I need Lin. She should be with my parents, which room are they in? Where's Lin?" Toph's voice was icy. Her ears frantically filtered through the night sounds, her feet straining to catch vibrations. This was so much harder in a wooden building, _why_ couldn't Aang have built his damn temple out of stone-

Her breath caught in her throat as she finally heard what she was searching for: the breathing patterns of her parents and Lin, only two rooms down. Her father's pulse had quickened somewhat, and his vibrations were coming closer, probably disturbed by the noisy arrival. Her mother's and Lin's pulses were slow and even. They were asleep, without a care in the world.

Lao Beifong came around the corner, a lamp hanging from his hand. "Toph? What's going on? We assumed you'd be back earlier, we were worried-"

"Is Lin OK, Dad?"

"She's fine. Your mother's with her, now. Toph, what's wrong?" His tone was concerned.

Toph glanced away as she inhaled slowly through her nose, catching her breath. Her father was the last person she wanted to talk to about this. He'd changed for the better since stepping down from the Council, but he'd never completely lost his shortsighted, overprotective nature. As much as she wanted to scoop up and cradle Lin right now, her distress would only alarm the baby, and her parents.

"...Nothing. Just had a little delay, getting back." She forced a reassuring smile that was probably more of a grimace. "Go back to sleep, Dad, I'll take you back to my place in the morning."

Lao glanced uncertainly at Katara. "As long as it's no imposition-"

"Of course not." Katara's tone indicated that she knew how Toph wanted this handled. "You're always welcome."

Lao stared at Toph for a long moment, then nodded and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, then." He wandered back to his room.

Katara squeezed Toph's shoulder. "...I'm going to stand watch with the White Lotus for a few hours-"

"No. Thanks, Katara, but you've already given me enough help today. You should go and pack, get ready to join Aang-"

"Aang can handle himself for a few days. If there's a Bloodbender with a grudge against you, I'm not leaving you alone right now. I'm going to contact your officers." Katara strode back outside, already shouting more instructions to the White Lotus guards.

"Wait. _What_?!" Sokka's voice was deadly serious. He put his hand on Toph's shoulder and steered her down the hall. "There's... a _Bloodbender_ in Republic City? What happened?"

"Katara and I were ambushed by more than a dozen Triple Threat Triads on our way home. We dealt with all of them except the leader, Yakone. I tried to nab him as he was fleeing... and he got me in a Bloodbending grip." Her breath was becoming ragged in her throat again. "I need to sit down."

"Just a bit further." They entered the tea-room and Sokka pushed her into a sitting position on one of the mats. He pulled several utinsels from the shelves, set a kettle of water over the firepit, and threw a few sticks of wood onto the dying coals. "Iroh taught me a few tricks, the last time I visited the Jade Dragon. I agree with him more and more on the subject of tea, these days." He turned back to her. "Do you have evidence you could give the court, of the Bloodbending? I know that's next to impossible, but..."

"If Katara testifies as a second witness, yes, I have admissible evidence. But only of the bending, not the bender." Her teeth ground together.

"But you saw him-"

"I didn't SEE him, Sokka! How many times do I need to remind you of the _blindingly_ obvious?!" Toph slammed her left hand on the table, waving her right in front of her unseeing eyes. "He kept out of sight at first, and when he Bloodbent me, Katara was busy fighting some others! When she finally broke his grip, he fled before she could get a look at his face!" She took a deep breath and pressed her fingers to her temples. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lose it-"

"Don't apologize." Sokka's tone was gentle, reassuring. "I've been Bloodbent, too. Only has to happen once, and you _never_ forget how scary it is."

Toph froze. For a second, she was dangling upside-down in mid-air again, paralyzed, unable to feel anything except her blood boiling.

She sucked in another deep breath, felt tears brim in her eyes and run down her face, and the breath came out as a sob of terror. Instantly, Sokka dropped the tea utensils and was hugging her, hard. He didn't say a word, but Toph clutched him, crying quietly for a while, letting it out. She felt completely drained of energy, but Sokka held onto her. Just as he had on the airship during Sozin's comet.

Finally, she took a slow, shuddering breath. "He... he... he _threatened_ Lin. He could come at any time, and do to her what he did to me, he can Bloodbend _without_ a full moon-"

Sokka's hands tightened around her shoulder blades. "He's not going to get anywhere near her. Not on an island swarming with White Lotus and Metalbenders. We'll keep enough of them here that he won't dare make a move, until Aang and Katara get back."

Toph detached herself slowly from his embrace, wiping her eyes. "...Katara might not be enough to stop him. Even if she was willing to Bloodbend again, she can't without the full moon. She could _break_ his grip, but she couldn't subdue him the same way."

Sokka scratched his goatee as he went back to brewing the tea. "Well...maybe you don't have to _subdue_ him in battle, to break his power. Maybe you only have to _expose_ him."

Toph let out a shaky chuckle. "Coming up with another of your great ideas, Captain Boomerang?"

"Maybe, and I _am_ flattered that you remembered that one. I was thinking about Hama. Katara did beat her once she used Bloodbending herself, but Hama was a lot more experienced at it than she was. She probably could have broken Karara's grip, if she'd really wanted to. What _really_ defeated Hama was her exposure as a Bloodbender; the Fire Nation citizens she imprisoned were released and testified against her, so they were ready for her next time. If you testify that Yakone used Bloodbending against _you_ -"

"But Bloodbending itself isn't _illegal_. No form of bending is, and if we claim it was used in attack, they'll claim self-defense."

"Bloodbending _ought_ to be illegal." Sokka's tone turned grim. "Katara might find a way to use it to enhance her healing powers, but the risk of it being used for torture or murder or coercion... it's too high. Now that we know there are still Bloodbenders in the world, we need to declare that particular power illegal."

"So, I testify, we start some sort of petition in favor of declaring Bloodbending illegal..." Toph shrugged. "It's not much right now, but it has potential. Especially since they attacked right after I pushed the Council to pass an anti-Triad measure; it looks like desperate retribution on Yakone's part."

"Plus, one: as far as we know, Bloodbending is incredibly rare." Sokka handed her a cup of tea. "This would be the first time it's been witnessed and documented in over twenty years. Two: presumably, Yakone's the only Bloodbender in Republic City, which is how he's built such a scary reputation. So if Bloodbending is declared illegal, all the charges fall right on his head."

"We still need to get a visual on his face AND catch him in the act again, though." Toph took a sip of her tea. Sokka hadn't been joking; his tea-making skills had improved considerably. "I wouldn't be much help with that-"

"But you've heard his voice. As long as you don't go anywhere alone, Yakone can't approach you without his face possibly being seen and identified in the future."

Toph felt like arguing for a moment. She had always been fiercely independent, that was part of the reason Yakone's attack had upset her so much. But her fear for her daughter overruled her other instincts. Sokka's suggestion wasn't over-protectiveness, it was strategy. She finally nodded. "...Okay. I'm staying here until Aang and Katara get back; I testify tomorrow, and when I'm going through town I bring one of my officers. Penga will probably be happy to volunteer."

"Oh, _Spirits._ She doesn't still have a crush on me, does she?"

"No, she's married." Toph laughed. She reached out to hug Sokka again. "Thanks, Sokka." The sensation of being Bloodbent came back to her again, involuntarily, and she squeezed his waist until it was gone.

"Anytime, Toph. You need anything else?"

For a moment, Toph was keenly aware of how close she was to him: her head against his chest, his heartbeat through the tunic. An urge to lean upwards, to feel his lips on hers, flitted through her head briefly...

"...No. I'll just finish the tea, then go to bed."

"'Kay. And hey, thanks for bucking me up earlier today, about the whole Suki thing. You need help with anything, you let me know, got it?"

Toph nodded as he left. She was freshly traumatized, Sokka had always been her friend, and he was only just out of a relationship. Re-visiting her childhood feelings for him wouldn't be kind to either of them, for now. Although, it _would_ provide Katara with endless amusement...

 _Stop it_. _You've got other priorities._

She did. As she swallowed the rest of her tea and headed down the hallway to where her daughter was sleeping, a single hard thought resonated through her mind, over and over. Yakone had to be stopped... whatever it took.


	11. Chapter 9: Fort Omori

A gust of icy wind ruffled Zuko's fur-lined cloak and buffeted his face, but he barely felt it. After the frigid waters of the North Pole, with nothing but the flames of his breath to keep him alive, cold was nothing to him now. He was perched on a simple folding chair, on a hill at the edge of the treeline. His officers stood silently around him, waiting as he lifted the field glasses to his eyes. Night was falling, but the valley below them was lit all along its' edges; the soldiers of the Fire Army waited at the ready. He turned his gaze to the far end of the valley, between the two mountains whose streams fed the fjord. The jagged silhouette of Omori loomed back at him.

Zuko's order to tighten the siege had been followed, but his airship had been thrown off-course by a storm at sea, and nearly knocked from the sky when its' reserve boiler blew. When they reached the Boiling Rock, halfway between the Capital and Omori, Zuko decided to switch to a dreadnought instead. The ships might be at the mercy of the sea and a bit slower than aircraft, but they were far less... explosive. At the end of the fifth day at sea, the Western Air Nomad lands finally appeared on the horizon.

Zuko had also picked up an unlikely consultant, before leaving the Capital: his father-in-law. Ukano had always been more politician than soldier, and his judgement was often poor, but he had been close friends with Takeo during the war and knew his mind better than most. Besides, as a former traitor himself, Ukano might be able to pinpoint the one in the military who was feeding Takeo information. Admiral Jee and General Tianze disapproved, given Ukano's history, but Zuko's word was final. Besides, he had a long memory. Ukano's remorse over his crimes had been genuine, and he had been a model prisoner for the last eighteen years.

Suki and the rest of the Kiyoshi Warriors had already landed on the coastline three days before, and were scouting in the mountains near Omori. Her messenger hawk missed Zuko due to his detour at the Boiling Rock, but Jee had received a copy of her message and relayed it to Zuko. Jeonsa's body had been found, half-buried in a small avalanche, but there was no sign of Ty Lee. His heart had been heavy as he wrote a letter of condolence to Jeonsa's father- one he hadn't sent yet, due to the break in communications between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation.

Zuko's rage over the Earthbending attack on Hira'a had only flared higher, when King Kuei's reply to his complaint arrived. He'd saved the Earth King's life once, offered him friendship on many occasions. By all accounts, ever since Ariq was elected, Omashu had been volatile and more resistant to the Earth King's laws than ever. And yet, Kuei- or, more accurately, the Council of Five- simply ignored Zuko's complaint and took the side of Ba Sing Se's most troublesome vassal, while throwing in the absurd accusation of kidnapping the heir to the Earth Kingdom. If Kuei really wanted to know why his daughter had disappeared, he ought to be keeping track of who she was dating. Zuko didn't think he was harsh or controlling toward his own daughter, but he'd seen on various diplomatic visits that Kuei spoiled Hou-Ting in every way, except the freedom to move around- something that, by tradition, was always restricted in Ba Sing Se. No wonder she'd wanted an escape; it was just particularly ill-timed for Zuko.

As much as Zuko was dreading a confrontation with the Avatar, he found himself actually _hoping_ Aang would arrive and intervene. He knew he wasn't acting unprovoked against Omashu, but wasn't sure how extreme his reaction would be, if it actually came to battle. But with no guarantee of Aang showing up, and no word from the White Lotus, he needed his own military entirely behind him if Ba Sing Se attacked; sometimes the _show_ of force was more important than force itself. And for that, he needed to finish with Omori.

He glanced up at the darkening sky for a moment, then turned to General Nishi. "Everyone in position, General?"

Nishi bowed. Mai hadn't trusted him -for that matter, she was suspicious of any officer who had ever served under Takeo, however briefly. But she found nothing risky or off about his battle plan, so Zuko had decided to use it, after making a few adjustments. "When the command is given, the assault will begin from all sides, Fire Lord."

"Any word from your air-scouts, Commander Atsuro?" Zuko gestured with a black _tessen_ fan at two observation balloons circling the armored towers of Omori.

Atsuro bobbed his head briefly. "They've been passing within yards of those towers for the last half-hour, unmolested. Of course, that doesn't mean the fort is abandoned, but if there's no returning fire at my aircraft, that makes the second part of General Nishi's plan _much_ easier."

When Nishi gave the attack signal, strategic points on all the tunnels would be shelled, while the airships dropped bombs on the approaches to clear any mines Takeo might have buried. Nonbending sapper teams supported by cover fire would then advance as close as possible to these entrances. Rather than storming the tunnels and being bottlenecked in a narrow space by the defenders, however, the sappers would construct foxholes- small defensive positions- near the entrances. This would allow the infantry following the sappers to dig in, but still keep the defenders occupied. The tundra tanks and cavalry would be held in reserve, in case the enemy tried to break out. Meanwhile, a company of Firebenders would torch the wooden keep (which was probably abandoned anyway). They would then drop by airship into the ruins, travel downwards through the underground complex and flush the defenders to the end of the tunnels. Once cornered, the rebels would either surrender or be obliterated.

Zuko knew, no matter what he did, there would probably be casualties on his side, especially among the Nonbenders in the vanguard. He was also painfully aware that his sudden arrival had shortened the deadline on his own attack. But there was little else he could do, with the Earth Kingdom threatening war and nearly a third of his military already tied up in the siege of Omori. His ultimatum to Takeo's various officers- and the one to Takeo himself- had received no answer. It was time to make good on his threats, and raze the fortress to the ground. All the same, if lives could be spared, he would try.

He stood up, slid the straps of his helm into place around his jaw, and turned to the cluster of officers behind him. "I'll be joining the Firebending assault team, into the center of Omori."

Most of the officers balked; General Tianze looked stunned, and Colonel Ryoko, the commander of the assault team, stepped forward hastily. "Fire Lord, whatever delusions of nobility you have about taking the same risks as your troops-"

"It's not delusions, Colonel." Zuko cut her off curtly, setting the _tessen_ on his folding chair. "It's basic military tactics. If you're making a strike at the flank or at the rear of the enemy, you give it the most force you can, especially if it's carried out by benders." He knew that sounded like bragging, but everyone here knew he probably _was_ the most skilled Firebender in the military. "Besides, if I go, we won't be risking our strategist, because _I_ only modified the battle plan. Our esteemed General Nishi actually came up with it, and he'll be carrying it out."

Nishi bowed, looking flattered, but Jee shook his head. "It's too high of a risk. Yes, you can crush Takeo in a one-on-one fight, but Takeo's strategy rarely relies on him being the strongest bender in the room. He'll have stronger Firebenders than himself available, and given that the winter solstice is only days away, you can bet he'll have other surprises waiting."

"I agree." A short, stocky man with a grey beard pushed his way forward. It was Ukano, Zuko's father-in-law. "I recommend that _I_ join the assault team in your place, Fire Lord."

Tianze's bushy eyebrows furrowed together. "This is outrageous! A confirmed traitor, attached to the main assault-"

Zuko whirled around, wisps of smoke rising from his palm. "Would _both_ of you shut up?! Ukano, unless you have a suicide wish, your request is completely mad. You're a Nonbender with no military experience, except what my sister spoon-fed you during the _Kemurikage_ incident."

"Guilty as charged." Ukano replied solemnly. "I'm also the only one on this war council, apart from Generals Nishi and Tianze, who _knows_ Takeo on a personal level- and the only one who knew him before he joined the Fire Army. I know how he appeals to soldiers, how he exploits our nation's commitment to honor through 'strength', how he inspires troops by example on the battlefield. I've seen you prove him _wrong_ through my own downfall, and because of that, I may be able to reach out to the rebels, once you have them pinned down. You showed me mercy, in spite of everything I did, because you knew Azula had pushed me into greater foolishness; you knew I might still redeem myself, even if _she_ wouldn't. Takeo's skill at inspiring or persuading his troops is exceptional, even if the cause is wrong. If I can offer some of the rebels that same mercy you offered me, even now, we may still be able to reduce the casualties of this battle."

Nishi looked troubled, but he nodded, turning to Zuko. "It's not a bad strategic move, Fire Lord. If the rebels are confronted by a confirmed traitor who turned his back on his own cause, they may hesitate. Alternately, they may be inflamed enough to break ranks and launch an undisciplined attack on Ukano. This might allow us to encircle and bear down on them even faster."

Zuko shook his head. "If we're using someone as bait, then I'm a much more personal target to these rebels than Ukano; he was nothing more than Azula's puppet."

"Then give me _your_ armor and cloak." Ukano replied, unfazed by the insults. "I'll keep the faceplate of the helmet closed; no one will know the difference until I'm close enough to reason with them. Besides, I'll be surrounded by Firebenders, so there's no need to defend myself."

"Because you can't, to begin with!" Tianze sneered, slapping his _tessen_ fan against his palm impatiently. "All this man ever does is talk his way out of things, or into people's good graces, Fire Lord- the same as Takeo! For all we know, he's going to defect and join Takeo once he makes it inside Omori-"

"Defect, inside a fortress that we're about to _raze_ _to the ground_?" Ryoko interrupted, skeptically. "As the Fire Lord pointed out, this particular traitor has no combat experience. My Firebenders and I can keep him under control."

Ukano glanced contemptuously at General Tianze. "With all due respect, this man's methods will play directly into Takeo's hands. _I_ might ensure that the only thing you burn today are Omori's timbers-"

"And I might _also_ be ensuring that my daughter loses her grandfather, before she's ten years old."

Ukano smiled sadly. "Izumi's only ever known me through bars, Zuko. She doesn't judge, but she isn't learning anything from me either, except a reminder of the shame I brought on my family. Better she loses a grandfather she barely knows instead of a father who means the world to her, and vice versa. If you won't think about what's best for your nation now, think about the one who will lead that nation after you." He chuckled bitterly. "If I defect, you can always execute me or throw me back in prison for however many years I've got left."

After a long pause, Zuko shook his head, unbuckled his helm and passed it to Ukano. "And to think, I was sure you'd _changed_ , after all your years of good behavior." He pulled the maroon cloak off his shoulders and began unlacing the iron-scaled pleats that hung over his thighs, while two of Zuko's bodyguards helped him with the cuirass around his torso. The wind came howling through the encampment again; Jee pulled his own cloak off and offered it, but Zuko waved him away.

Commander Atsuro frowned critically as Ukano laced on the various pieces of Zuko's armor. "Shift the helmet further back on the head- you won't fool them if they notice how short the Fire Lord is."

"I'll keep that in mind." Ukano replied sarcastically, forcing one of the wrist-gauntlets around his arm. "Of course, when they notice I'm not Firebending, I think most of them will catch on."

Zuko glanced back along the fjord. The steel turrets of Jee's warships were poking just over the clifftops, their artillery trained on Omori. Directly behind him and the generals were row after row of armor-plated airships, the first three already loaded with a company of the Army's best Firebenders, outside the Imperial Guard. He glanced left and right, along the snow-capped treeline. Flanking of the command tent were brigade after brigade of sappers and Nonbending infantry. On either side of these forces, in the surrounding hills, batteries of ground artillery and squads of tundra tanks and cavalry waited at the ready, followed by reserve Firebenders. Even a fortress as well-built as Omori would have to be fully-garrisoned to hold off an attack this large.

He reminded himself not to get overconfident. Takeo had held out, encircled and outnumbered, on various occasions against the Earth Kingdom's armies; he'd known what he was up against when he defied Zuko in the first place. About the only kind of military technology he'd never faced was aircraft- the former Armaments Minister, Qin, had guarded _that_ invention jealously- but Fort Omori solved that problem since most of it's complex was far underground. Hence, the two-pronged assault from the ground and the air.

Zuko turned back to Ukano, who had just finished draping the cloak around his shoulders. "You're not going to be in command, Ukano. You'll follow Colonel Ryoko's orders, at least until you encounter hostiles. And if they attack on sight, your role is to talk them down, nothing more."

"Understood." Ukano paused. "Fire Lord, if I don't make it back... tell Tomoru he's done our family proud."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "And Mai?"

"Mai doesn't need to be told, she already knows. Besides, she'd just think I was sucking up."

"She _is_ the one who suggested shortening your sentence-"

"Only because I advised you on how to anticipate Takeo." Ukano cut him off. "Mai shows me kindness for the sake of our family, but she doesn't forgive easily, as you know." He closed the faceplate of the helmet. "Thank you both for giving me a second chance- I don't intend to waste it."

He bowed, then began to climb the ramp of the lead airship. Zuko watched until the engines fired up and the mooring lines detached, lifting the dirigible into the air. Then he turned to the rest of his war council. "The rest of you, to your..." He frowned. "Wait a minute. Where's Nishi?"

"He said he was going to go address the troops." Tianze shrugged. "Some of these hotheaded younger generals always do, too many of them were listening to Zhao when he attacked the North Pole."

Zuko thought it was rich of Tianze to call Nishi 'hotheaded', but he bit back a retort. "Well, get him back here, quickly. This is _his_ strategy we're carrying out, he should be here to lead-"

"But it begins at _your_ command, Fire Lord." Tianze interrupted. "No one in the military can act without the Fire Lord's divine approval-"

"Spare me the Mandate of Heaven argument, General." Zuko barked a harsh laugh. "I haven't commanded troops in the field since Yu Dao, when I was seventeen. That was a stalemate that nearly became a bloodbath, until Aang intervened."

"And yet, you trust _our_ experience on the battlefield." Jee replied patiently. "Don't you think we ought to reciprocate and trust _your_ judgement, after you've kept the peace for twenty years? If you feel the time to start is now, give us a command. We know our part in the plan."

Zuko felt his chest tighten slightly; he was often moved by the Admiral's unswerving loyalty, especially considering how often he'd insulted Jee during his exile.

The other commanders were waiting expectantly. He sat back down on the folding chair and picked up his black _tessen_ fan, staring at the keep of Omori. Colonel Ryoko's team was drawing level with the observation balloons, but still, no fire came from the outer towers of the fortress.

He took a deep breath, let a small puff of flames escape his mouth, and brought the _tessen_ down sharply. The officers saluted him and headed to their positions, already barking orders to their subordinates.

* * *

About ten minutes later, a small rocket streaked into the sky over Zuko's camp, exploding in a burst of white stars. Immediately, there was an answering roar as all the artillery opened up at once.

A barrage of cannon shells struck the ground around Omori's outer walls, hammering the fortress steadily from all sides. Zuko observed the inferno through his field glasses, alongside Nishi, who had finally returned. It was difficult to see clearly, with so much smoke and debris raised by the explosions. As expected, the first barrage did little damage to the reinforced walls, but then the rangefinders redirected their gunners' fire, concentrating on the approximate location of the tunnels. Bombs plunged from the bellies of the airships as they passed over the approaches to the walls; the explosions were magnified by the detonation of Takeo's mines, throwing geysers of ice and shrapnel high into the air. As soon as the smoke began to clear, infantry equipped with bows, pikes, swords and grenades advanced, protecting the sappers at their center. At any moment, Zuko expected his troops to take fire, either from the armored towers or from the tunnel entrances, but the battle remained eerily one-sided.

Soon, large sections of earth, stone and ice began to collapse into the ground, as some of the upper tunnels' roofs gave in under the bombardment. Zuko closed his eyes briefly. He gave them a choice, and they spat on it. Still, if there were any rebels left in the outer tunnels, they were being buried alive on his orders. He turned his field glasses back to the main keep, which had already been reduced to a blazing heap of timber. Three airships were hovering over it; armored Firebenders were descending slowly into the wreck on cables. Colonel Ryoko, already on the ground, was using her bending to disperse the flames.

"Spawn of the _Ashura_!" Nishi cursed, lowering his own field glasses. "Tianze's left-wing commander is sending his tank forces too early! We haven't cleared a wide enough path for them yet."

Zuko shifted his gaze back to the eastern side of Omori, closest to the mountain. Engineers were already constructing and reinforcing foxholes in some of the shell craters; from there, infantry launched fire arrows and smoke grenades at the tunnel entrances. The paths themselves were obscured by the haze of the bombardment, but he caught a glint of metal moving among the smoke. Sure enough, some of the tanks were already struggling across the broken ground.

"Signal Tianze to pull them back. Until the area's clear of mines, we risk hitting our own armor."

"Of course, Fire Lord."

"Also, have him signal the harpoon crews to start early."

Nishi looked uncertain and irritated- understandably so, given how long he'd been planning this to the last detail. "They were only to be brought forward if there was supporting fire from the towers-"

"Just because there isn't any fire from the towers _now_ doesn't mean they've been abandoned." Zuko cut him off. "If they're still occupied, their garrisons are either waiting for the right moment, or are moving to intercept Ryoko's force in the tunnels. I want the towers down. Now."

Nishi shot him a look that Zuko ignored, but obeyed and gestured to an attendant next to a crate of various flares and signal rockets. The pyrotechnic selected two missiles, one short-shafted with a green head, the other narrow and striped black and red. She stabbed the fireworks' rods into the ground, then ignited them with Firebending. Both rockets screamed fifty feet into the air, exploding with twin _cracks_ that echoed across the valley below; the first formed a ring of smoking, silvery corkscrews, while the second flared into a brilliant red diamond, continuing to burn as it fell back to the snow.

"I'd better send Tianze a secondary confirmation in writing, Fire Lord." Nishi snatched a parchment and brush from his aide-de-camp and rushed back to the command tent. "He's so scornful of retreat orders, he might pretend he didn't see the second signal."

Zuko nodded, gesturing to another attendant who held a red-crested hawk on his gauntlet. "Send his message when he's finished, then come back." He turned back to the fortress, focusing on the smoking ruins of the keep. The last of Ryoko's Firebenders was disappearing inside, yet still there was no fire from the eight steel turrets rising from the walls. What was Takeo waiting for?

Well, if he was planning on using the towers for a last-minute ambush, that option was about to leave the picture: Tianze had obeyed the first signal. As Zuko scanned the treeline, a new set of tundra tanks came into view, rattling toward Omori. They were much longer and broader than the standard type II tank, and instead of a slitted turret for the Firebender to attack from, they carried a rotating platform with a double harpoon-tipped ballistae. When they came within range, the harpoons would fire into the towers themselves, extending grapnel claws the instant their barbed heads pierced the armor. Using their spiked treads and metal bracing rods behind the engine to dig into the ground, the tanks would winch the harpoon chains backward, ripping the turrets right out of the towers.

Sweeping the field glasses from the sappers' positions back to the fortress, Zuko caught a brief movement, on the parapet of the inner wall. A figure in body-hugging dark clothes and carrying a longbow was creeping between the towers, glancing back and forth as if confused. As it turned its' head, Zuko caught a brief glimpse of a face mostly covered by a scarlet tattoo. What was one of the Yuyan Archers still doing here? He'd had them evacuated weeks ago.

There was a sudden _thud,_ just behind him. Zuko dropped the field glasses and spun around. The pyrotechnic was lying motionless next to her arsenal, and standing over her were... his four bodyguards? Their faces were hidden behind the three-eyed visors of their helmets, but their hands were raised in an attack position. He took a slow step back and copied their stance.

"So, Takeo's plan is to take me out while my forces are occupied, is it?" His voice was calm, as it always was when he was about to fight. He inhaled deeply through his nose, feeling the heat build in his chest. "You've forgotten, a Dragon's head is where its' _teeth_ are. I assume my real guards are dead?"

"As of this morning, yes. Along with your ill-timed hawk-bearer, and my idealistic aide-de-camp." Nishi stepped out of the command tent, a long knife in his hand. "You're far too lax in choosing the Imperial Firebenders these days, Zuko. Their standards are falling." He wiped a smear of blood off the knife's single edge and strode forward. "Dragon's teeth are easy to deal with, if the Dragon doesn't know how to _use_ them."

Shock, then rage, erupted through Zuko's mind, repeating over and over. His hands dropped to his sides. Unknowingly, he had handed the strategy to the mole, the only one who could have allowed Takeo to win. How could he have been so stupid? Nishi stopped about ten feet away, slipping the blade back into his belt. His thugs drew up on either side of him; all four conjured fireballs.

"Well? Say something." Nishi's expression was mild, but his tone was smug. "I _was_ surprised at how quickly you went along with my plan. I didn't really think you suspected Tianze of being the mole- that old fool takes honor far too seriously to betray the Fire Lord, and everyone knows it. But, given how much that knife-throwing bitch of yours mistrusted _me_ , I thought you'd at least have me watched more carefully."

The contempt in his tone- and the insult to Mai- finally spurred Zuko to reply. "Putting officers under surveillance creates mistrust." He growled, even though he was silently _cursing_ himself for not doing exactly that. "It breeds resentment, and disloyalty."

Nishi shrugged. "It also allows the disloyalty that's already _there,_ to grow unchecked. Takeo taught me that, when I was his aide-de-camp near the end of the Hundred Year War. He used both loyalty _and_ suspicion, when it suited him. Use the wrong one in the wrong situation, and you're doomed."

Zuko's eyes flicked back and forth as he slowly shifted his right foot back, readying himself to spring. He hadn't fought a real _Agni Kai_ since he stopped teaching Izumi Firebending, but he still remembered everything Iroh had taught him- and after Azula, no one else had been able to give him a real challenge. Still, with five against one, it wouldn't hurt to stall until he could somehow signal for help.

"How many will die?"

"On our side? Only the ones in the towers, and they knew what they were getting into. As did we all." Nishi shrugged. "On yours? You, the few unfortunates here, and most of Ryoko's forces in the tunnels, once the tower-garrisons collapse the roofs on them. Your premature arrival and alterations to the plan forced me to improvise a bit, but even if my message to Vachir was too late, we should still reach the same result." He glanced briefly down at the battlefield. "I _was_ trying to spare the tank crews, by the way. No need for unnecessary deaths, just enough to convince them of your military incompetence. Which won't be hard, since your army will return from their 'victory' to find you assassinated."

Zuko frowned; the name Nishi mentioned was familiar. "Vachir? The Yuyan Archer who defected to the Rough Rhinos?"

"You have a good memory." Nishi nodded. "He's held a grudge against you ever since you declared all mercenaries in the Fire Nation to be terrorists. His skill isn't exaggerated: he really _can_ hit his target blindfolded, which is particularly useful in dark, underground tunnels. I barely had to offer him anything to eliminate you- he might have even done it for free. We both knew you'd volunteer to lead the assault into the tunnels, but then your spineless father-in-law had the same delusions of nobility as you. All that did in the end, though, was allow us to kill two birds with the same stone. Vachir will deal with that traitor Ukano instead... leaving _me_ the honor of wiping you out. For the good of the Nation."

He lunged forward suddenly, the fireball around his hand extending into a whip. Zuko jumped back and brought his hands back up just in time, parrying with a flick of his wrist, then deflecting the next six fireballs into the snow around him. For all Nishi's cunning, neither he nor his guards were Firebenders of Zuko's caliber; their attacks were crude and didn't even try to break his stance. He could hear Iroh's voice in his head, sharp as ever: _Basics, Zuko! Break the root, and their own power takes them down!_

He could win this battle, no question, but first he had to get the initiative back. Crouching with leg extended, he raised a fire-barrier to deflect the next barrage, but only two fireballs came. Two of the guards were still bombarding him; Nishi and the other one were circling around from either side, looking for an opening. The fifth guard was charging the barrier head-on, hands drawn back to strike straight through it. A bold and unexpected move, but foolish. But instead of taking the bait, Zuko stepped sideways at the last minute and launched a charged strike at the Firebender approaching him from the left. The force of his fire-jet hurled the attacker back against a tree, knocking her helmet off and stunning her. The one who had charged through the barrier tried to rush him again, but Zuko deflected his impatient attacks easily, then tripped him flat and dealt a chopping blow to the side of his neck.

The Fire Lord ducked and rolled as the two guards in front of him roundhouse-kicked, their flaming arcs singeing his jacket sleeve. Nishi was bearing down on him from the side again, a fire-dagger on his left hand and the steel one in his right. Zuko jumped, bringing his legs up and kicking straight outward, striking Nishi in the solar plexus with a fire burst that knocked him off his feet. Rotating his legs in a semi-circle as he rolled again, he conjured a cyclone of flames around himself, hurling his other two enemies back. Springing up, he fed more energy into the barrier, advancing on Nishi as the inferno whirled and roared around him.

As he drew back his arm, one of the thugs leaped straight _through_ the flames, crashing into Zuko and knocking both of them to the ground. The hulking Firebender let out a gasp of pain as they fell; his ceremonial guard's armor was laced together with leather-and-silk cords, and flames were licking along his shoulders. But his arms continued to grip Zuko in a bear hug, pinning his left arm to his side.

Nishi pulled himself upright, brushing snow and ash from his scorched armor. "Brave effort, Zuko. No question, you're stronger than any _one_ of us. You would have won, in a traditional _Agni Kai._ But for those of us who follow Takeo, strength is only secondary. The _cause_ means more than any rules or pain along the way... since there isn't any to fear, at the _end_." He tossed the knife from his burned right hand to his left. "I would have loved to make this _slow_ , but I'm on a bit of a tight schedule."

Before he could bring the knife to Zuko's throat, there was a flash of light and a tremendous explosion right behind them, causing clumps of snow to shake from the trees. It was followed immediately by the stench of sulfur and more explosions. As Nishi whirled around, Zuko spotted the cause. The pyrotechnic had regained consciousness and set off the rest of her arsenal, creating a diversion. One misfired rocket had struck the remaining guard; he was on his knees, chunks of still-burning shrapnel protruding from his torso. The rest of the rockets were screeching off in every direction, setting trees alight and obscuring the entire hilltop with smoke.

Conjuring a flame in his palm, Zuko clamped his hand over his attacker's visor, heating it red-hot within seconds. Howling in agony, the thug finally released him, ripping the helmet off his head. Leaping up, Zuko made a series of quick jabs at Nishi, hitting him with several light fire blasts. The treacherous general staggered back and fell against a cedar tree.

Zuko made sure the injured guard was down with a blow to the jaw, then advanced on Nishi, his face contorted with rage. "SO YOU WERE GOING TO MAKE IT SLOW, WERE YOU?!" Kicking the knife from Nishi's hand, he yanked him upright by the collar, slamming him against the cedar trunk. "WHY DON'T I SHOW YOU EXACTLY HOW _SLOWLY_ MY OWN FATHER TOOK HALF MY FACE OFF?!" He held his free hand inches from Nishi's face, his fingers encased in fire.

Despite a burn over his eye and the blood streaming from his nose, Nishi's expression was oddly calm. "As I said, 'Fire Lord Zuko', the cause means more to us than any pain along the way. Since you're so interested in saving lives... I think you'll probably want to turn your focus down _there._ "

Zuko followed his gesture toward Omori. Two of the turrets had already collapsed under the harpoon attack, and another two were already starting to topple, but pillars of smoke were rising between the inner and outer walls of the fortress- where the tunnels would be. The harpoon crews had saved some lives, but they were too late. He let out a roar of frustration, then slammed Nishi against the tree again, knocking him out.

The pyrotechnic staggered upright, ignoring the massive bruise forming around her eye and cheekbone. "I'm so sorry, Fire Lord! I didn't have time to think when I distracted them, all my signal rockets are gone!"

Zuko took a deep breath of mountain air, trying to let it cool his rage. "Don't apologize for saving my life, Private...?"

"Yojong, Fire Lord."

"Someone will have noticed that many fireworks going off, Yojong. Even if they somehow missed it, the generals will probably notice _this_." Zuko gestured at the blazing trees around them.

"But there's no way to warn Colonel Ryoko, her troops are already underground-"

"I know, we were too late. But it could have been worse; some of the towers were taken down, before they could fire. What we need to do next is get Ryoko help, as soon as possible. We've still got the hawk-roost for communication, and I'm willing to bet these traitors didn't slaughter them yet." Nishi would have wanted to send the news of his death to Takeo as soon as possible, he was sure. "We'll relay a ceasefire order to Atsuro, Tianze and Jee... and then see how many we can save, and how many we've lost."

* * *

Atsuro's airship arrived just as Zuko attached the ceasefire order to the third hawk's talons. After taking the four surviving rebels into custody, the young Air Fleet Commander relayed what he'd seen while hovering over the fortress. Although Nishi's attack signal hadn't reached Omori's towers, the rebels had realized they were out of time when the harpoons began to fire. A few of them managed to ignite black-powder charges buried between the walls of Omori, causing the tunnels under the keep and courtyard to collapse. Most of Colonel Ryoko's forces were now trapped inside the underground maze.

"Of course, I had my airships cease bombardment immediately; we'd only be burying them even deeper." Atsuro added hastily, as they lifted off again. "Most of the ground artillery has stopped firing as well. I think Tianze guessed what was happening, and both of us saw that firework explosion on the ridge, near your camp-"

"It was Nishi." Zuko replied curtly. "He was the mole. If Yojong hadn't set off the fireworks when she did, I wouldn't be speaking to you now." He bowed his head in her direction gratefully.

Atsuro's face darkened. "So, we played right into their hands- except that you came out alive, thank the Spirits." He glanced out the airship window, in the direction of the fjord. "Jee probably didn't see the explosion or your ceasefire order yet; the Navy artillery is still firing."

"He'll get the message soon. Take us straight down, into the heart of the fortress. Most of the debris there is already burned away; we'll have an easier time digging them out."

Atsuro looked anxious. "The rebels might have a secondary trap laid-"

"No. There's no one left in the fortress, except the ones who were in the towers." Zuko didn't know this for certain, but it was the only explanation that made sense. Nishi had said earlier that the only rebel casualties would be in the towers, but he had also _known_ the rest of Omori was going to become a tomb. The mutineers in the towers had been accounted for by the harpoons; if there was anyone left below-ground, they were either dead or trapped, now that the tunnels were sealed off. Which meant that the rest of the garrison, including Takeo, had already evacuated... somehow. "Did the harpooners take any prisoners?"

Atsuro glanced away. "Tianze... wasn't in the mood to take prisoners, after he saw the charges go off."

He gave Zuko an uneasy look, wary of his reaction, but Zuko's concern for the rebels had expired. Nishi was right, he thought savagely. They'd known what they were getting into. His own troops, now trapped under Omori's ruins, hadn't.

The airship finally touched down in the center of the blackened courtyard. Zuko vaulted over the rail and started toward the largest heap of rubble, the keep itself. A handful of Firebenders who had avoided being buried had already cleared the entrance to the central tunnel, and were hauling out the debris piece by piece; Zuko jumped down into the passage and joined them. Most of the debris here was burned wood, which was fairly easy to move, but Zuko ordered the troops to go slowly, working their way from the top down. Even a small piece of rubble, if it fell the wrong way, could trigger another collapse. He was tempted to use pressurized Firebending to cut through some of the larger stones and slabs of metal, but fire near the only visible opening might cut off the trapped soldiers' airflow. Omori had ventilation shafts, but most of them had probably also collapsed under the bombardment.

Within about twenty minutes, some of Tianze's troops were descending into the hole to assist. The Army's sappers were much more experienced excavators than the air crews or infantry, and the piles of debris began to come down more quickly. No sound came from the other side, but once a large gap had been formed, some of the infantry began to squeeze their way through into the tunnel, to search for survivors.

At Atsuro's urging, Zuko finally returned to the surface, where Admiral Jee and General Tianze had arrived. Tianze shook his wrinkled head grimly as Zuko climbed over the lip of the pit. "So dishonorable and cruel. Many of the assault team were new volunteers to the army. Young, brave, full of love for their nation and their people. Now, many have been snuffed out before they had a chance to prove themselves."

Zuko glanced at him. Tianze might be outdated, stubborn and inflexible, but at least the man had some principals, unlike Nishi or Takeo. "All the same, I want to thank you for responding so promptly to my message, General Tianze. Your timing may have saved at least _some_ lives."

Tianze bowed low, the lights from the airship playing off a battle scar across his forehead. "I may _question_ some orders, Fire Lord, but if my sovereign commands, I obey. To do any less would be dishonor."

Zuko mused that _that_ argument had been used by some of the Fire Nation officers tried for war crimes, years before. But today it served to affirm Tianze's loyalty, and he needed that now. He clapped the old general on the shoulder, then turned to Jee. "Any sign of ships off the coast?"

"None, and my frigates have been patrolling nonstop. If Takeo fled beforehand, he didn't do so by sea. He must still be on this landmass somewhere, though I can't understand how." Jee's brow was furrowed. Before he could continue, there was a shout and the hurrying of feet from below. Zuko and his officers hurried to the edge, in time to see the sappers pulling aside the last of the burned timbers. From behind the debris came two armored Firebenders; between them was a black-haired colonel, her armor spattered with ash and blood.

"Ryoko!" Atsuro hurried over, offering his hand to help her over the edge of the pit. "Thank the Spirits, you're alive. How many are trapped in there with you?"

"Not enough." Ryoko replied numbly, her expression slightly shell-shocked. She caught Zuko's eye and dropped her gaze hastily. "Fire Lord... I should have waited for the tanks and harpoon crews to attack, I'm sorry-."

"You have nothing to apologize for." Zuko threw a dark look back at the ramp of the airship, where Nishi was being held between two guards, his hands encased in manacles. "We were betrayed by our own strategist; if there's any blame to be held, it should fall on me for not being more suspicious." He took a deep breath. "All the same...I need to know how many men and women we've lost today."

"Nearly one hundred were killed or suffocated in the cave-ins, out of a battalion of three hundred. Another forty injured, to varying degrees." Ryoko replied mechanically, her voice tight as a bowstring. She glanced back into the pit, where some of her troops were struggling to carry something out of the entrance. "Among the dead, I'm afraid..."

Zuko felt his chest tighten as he saw the body the soldiers were carrying on a makeshift stretcher. Ukano looked even older in death, thanks to the pale grey ash coating most of his face. A broken arrow protruded from a gap in the armor at his neck; dried blood stained his mouth. Someone had closed his eyes, but his contorted expression indicated that his passing hadn't been easy.

Zuko closed his own eyes for a moment, his jaw clenching. He inhaled deeply through his nose, containing the fire that fueled his conflicting emotions. Ukano had undermined him, threatened his life and the lives of his mother, sister and stepfather, led an uprising against him in his own capital. And he had suffered for it, spent the rest of his life in penance at the Boiling Rock- unable to witness his daughter's wedding, the promotion of his son, or the birth of his granddaughter. As the body was carried past him, Zuko reached out and clasped Ukano's ice-cold hand for a moment. Mai had always publicly disowned her father for his past treachery, but in private she'd made efforts to make his life in prison a little easier. Zuko wondered just how she would react when she learned the price Ukano had paid for his redemption.

His eyes fell again on the broken arrow in Ukano's neck, reminding him of the threat of Vachir. "Were you able to find the archer?"

"Oh, _he's_ been dealt with, though not before he took another two with him." Ryoko's mouth was set in a grim line. Zuko decided not to press for details, but she went on. "We didn't find any other hostiles beside the archer, but when my adjutant and I were chasing him down, we came across something interesting, in the bowels of the maze. There's a sort of... _mining_ shaft, over half a _mile_ straight down, surrounded by broken cranes and cargo equipment. We went down by rope, to see how deep it went. The end was blocked by rubble, but the damage there wasn't recent; it happened before this battle even started. I think we've discovered how Takeo and his troops escaped, right under our noses."

"He... _tunneled_ out?" Jee was astonished. "Just how much heavy equipment did he have stashed away here, to begin with?"

"He could have constructed a smaller version of Qin's war drill. Remember, the one that ate through the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se-"

"Fire Lord Zuko!" A familiar voice interrupted them. Raising his head, Zuko saw three green-robed, armored figures with painted faces pushing through the soldiers. The Kiyoshi Warriors had finally returned from their expedition in the mountains.

"Suki." He bowed his head to their leader, a tall woman with straight brown hair and a gold-and-bronze headdress. "Did you find anything?"

"Nothing related to _where_ Ty Lee disappeared to, or whether she was captured." Suki replied, returning the bow as she approached. She gestured at the mountain on Omori's eastern flank. "But we found something _,_ near that peak. My warriors found the remains of a _magnesium_ flare; almost certainly one of Ty Lee's. There's a small cave nearby, she may have used it for shelter."

Zuko couldn't see much reason to be optimistic over this, but as he'd said to Mai, Ty Lee was smarter now than she'd been at fourteen. And she'd had the good sense to get beyond the range of Omori's walls. "Well, at least there's a chance she's still alive-"

"Even better. She left us a clue, as to _who_ was involved. I found this, next to the mouth of the cave." Suki lifted her black-gloved fist. A round, bronze tassel dangled from her fingers, hanging from several tattered threads of green silk. She turned it sideways as Zuko squinted, throwing light onto the characters embossed on one side: _PEACE WITHIN THE WALLS_. "You're probably not familiar with these words, Zuko, because you didn't spend enough time in Ba Sing Se. Anyone born there, knows them by heart." Suki's voice was grim. "This is the motto of the Dai Li."

Zuko felt his blood run cold. He'd only briefly encountered the Dai Li, during his exile, and they'd been in the process of defecting to Azula. But in his meetings with Kuei after Sozin's comet, it became clear that the secret police had cast a dark shadow over Ba Sing Se, long before the city fell to the Fire Nation. They might well have snatched their power back from the Earth King after the liberation, if it hadn't been for the presence of the White Lotus. No one had heard anything of them, in the two decades after the war. But what Zuko _did_ remember, from his time in Ba Sing Se, was that the Dai Li excelled at leaving no trace. They'd always appeared without warning, and vanished just as quickly once their business was complete. Just like those Earthbenders who had attacked Hira'a...

"Of course." He muttered to himself. Always the clever gambler, Takeo, to set the stage for an entire war just to gain a tactical advantage. No wonder the Dai Li had known exactly where to attack in the Fire Nation, where they could provoke his rage the most.

"Takeo... has _Earthbenders_ working for him?" Tianze looked stunned. "He _despises_ Mudslingers, especially after all the losses he took around Ba Sing Se-"

"Never say never with Takeo." Zuko shook head. "He saves his ruthlessness for anyone who won't bend to him, but he'll make use of almost anyone who has something to offer him. And for a faction of turncoats like the Dai Li, turning them into allies would be easy."

"It would also explain how he escaped." Ryoko took the tassel from Suki and examined it. "The escape tunnel under Omori wasn't created through mining technology alone. The sides had too smooth and precise a finish, Earthbending had to be involved. Besides, the further underground you go, the greater the dangers of magma and extreme pressure, the same as around our Caldera Cavern."

" _Can_ Earthbenders manipulate magma?"

"I'd never say it was impossible." Suki shrugged. "Firebenders can create or _remove_ heat; Waterbenders and Airbenders can change the temperature of their elements at will. Earth might be a more rigid element, but who's to say a skilled enough bender couldn't change it to liquid form? More importantly, where did that tunnel lead to, before they sealed it up behind them?"

"Well, we know who to ask." Jee glanced grimly in Nishi's direction. At Zuko's gesture, the guards brought him forward and set him on his knees in front of the other commanders; he tilted his head back, gazing up at them with an expression that was either dazed or bored.

"Where'd your master flee to, _Ashura_ spawn?" Tianze growled. Nishi gave him a contemptuous glance, then spat a gob of blood onto the old general's beard. Tianze went red with fury, backhanding him across the face.

"Don't waste your energy." Suki shook her head. "Force won't make him talk-"

"I can be _very_ persuasive." Tianze snarled ominously, conjuring a fire-dagger over his free hand.

Atsuro glanced quickly at Zuko. "Torture is against the rights of citizens of the Fire Nation-"

"This man _forfeited_ his rights as a Fire Nation citizen the moment he stabbed us in the back, you up-jumped nonbender!" Tianze whirled on the air fleet commander, his sunken eyes blazing. "By every law of war, there's nothing to stop us. He would have done the same to any prisoners he'd taken from our army- if he'd bothered to leave them alive!"

"Tianze has a point." Ryoko piped up. She was staring at Nishi, her expression cold, her brown eyes full of vengeance. Suki looked alarmed, but didn't speak. The smile had vanished from Nishi's face, but he didn't look frightened; on the contrary, his face was hard with resolve.

But Atsuro stepped forward and grabbed Tianze's wrist as he brought the fire-dagger towards Nishi's eyes. "I can't let you do that, General Tianze." He glanced at Zuko, his rounded face pale. "Fire Lord, I beg you: rein this in, before it becomes something we'll all regret."

Zuko glanced at Jee, expecting him to join the protest. To his surprise, the Admiral simply shrugged. "It's not the worst option we could take, Zuko. We know Takeo has the Dai Li, which makes him more dangerous than ever, but we don't know where he's fled to. If Nishi's knowledge helps us save lives, both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, after all the ones he's taken from us today..."

Zuko was surprised- and a bit repulsed. Even Jee, the most trusted and honorable member of his military inner circle, was willing to turn a blind eye to torture for the sake of the ends. Yet, for a moment, he felt tempted as well. After everything Nishi had done with Takeo to undermine the Fire Nation and put them on the path of war, after all the lives this battle had cost, a little pain was a small vengeance. As Nishi had said, there were those for whom the cause meant more than any pain; he might put that theory to the test.

He glanced back and forth from Jee to Atsuro, then finally shook his head at Tianze. "We don't need to find Takeo, thanks to Suki's warriors. The Dai Li tassel gives us the means to open dialogue with the Earth Kingdom again, and stop the war before it starts. If I can make King Kuei and the Council of Five understand who's been pitting us against each other, it could lead to collaboration-maybe even an alliance, sometime in the future. If our enemies are hiding in Earth Kingdom territory, we'll need the Earth King's resources and permission to pursue them. Do you really think torturing prisoners is going to gain his favor, especially since some of the people we're after are technically Earth citizens?"

Suki nodded approvingly. Tianze scowled, wrenching his arm from Atsuro's grip. "No one has to know-"

"They do." Zuko cut him off. "I'm through hiding this incident from the people. After we inspect this escape tunnel and demolish Omori's ruins, I'll return to the Fire Nation and reveal the entire incident to the press; the soldiers who died today will be properly mourned and buried with military honors. At the same time, I'll make a public apology to King Ariq and an offer of reconciliation to Kuei. Nishi will be imprisoned, tried publicly in the Capital, and executed like the traitor he is."

"Well, doesn't _that_ work just perfectly." Nishi spoke suddenly, his voice dripping with scorn. "Once again, Zuko, your indecision between trust and ruthlessness has lost you _everything_."

"I'm not the one who's lost, today." Zuko stared down at him for a moment, then turned away. "You and Takeo threw everything you had into your little gamble to kill me... and you both came out failures."

"Oh, I disagree." Nishi's tone became almost gleeful. " _I_ might have failed in killing you, but you think your death was Takeo's main objective? He always keeps more than one iron in the fire, because he always sees the _bigger_ picture. You'll see, when you get back to the Capital."

After a pause, Zuko turned slowly back to him. "...If Takeo's trying to stage an uprising in the Capital, he'll fail at that, too. The Home Guard outnumber him ten to one."

"An uprising? Nothing so dramatic. Takeo needs _stealth_ to get what he's looking for. The one variable in his plan he doesn't have yet, the thing that secures his future... and yours." Nishi grinned maliciously. "That's what he _really_ needed the Dai Li for, the attack on Hira'a was just a distraction to stretch the Home Guard thin. And, since Takeo can guess who you've hidden in the Caldera Cavern...well, the Cavern's defenses have never been tested by _Earthbending_ before."

A flash of terror shot through Zuko's veins. He stared straight through Nishi, paralyzed.

It had never been _his_ life Takeo was after.

The adrenaline finally kicked in, and Zuko turned away. Faintly, as if underwater, he heard himself ordering Tianze to secure the ruins, collect the dead and then return to the Fire Nation, but he couldn't feel his mouth moving as he spoke. His long legs propelled him rapidly towards the airship, Atsuro already barking at the crew to prepare for takeoff. He felt, rather than heard, Jee and Suki close behind him, trying to ask what was wrong, but he couldn't answer. His breath was coming in short, sharp gasps, in perfect time with the names racing through his head.

 _Mai. Tomoru. Kiyi. Izumi_.

He would have to endure the terror of uncertainty until he got back to the Capital... and then, learn whether Takeo really had taken everything from him.


	12. Chapter 10: Fire Nation Capital

**THE SAME DAY, THAT MORNING:**

"Wakey wakey, lazy bones." Rila's pointed nails raked lightly across Genpei's cheek. "It'll be time for the big event in a few hours. We got a hawk from Nishi last night."

Genpei stifled a yawn as he opened his eyes and craned his neck around. Faint light was filtering through the trees from the east. Rila was sitting cross-legged, her back against his naked torso, a Dai Li military blanket draped loosely around her waist. Her long left arm was stretched out over the smoldering firepit, fingers flexing around a small, glowing sphere of energy hovering over her palm. A faint smell of sulfur wafted through the air; there was a volcanic hot spring about half a mile up the slope.

Xi's squad of twenty Dai Li- plus a smaller group of the Fire Nation rebels- were camping in the foothills of the giant caldera that encircled the Fire Nation Capital. They'd landed on the west coast of the continent, then quickly moved inland, using Earthbending to conceal their trail. The Dai Li were still wearing the armor and uniforms of Omashu under their shabby grey cloaks, but all the same, Takeo had insisted they keep out of sight. Rightfully so: since their attack on Hira'a, Zuko's Home Guard were stationed in nearly every town they came in sight of, while observation balloons prowled over the rail lines and most of the roads. They'd taken increasingly disused paths- and, as they entered the rainforest, game trails. Zuko had been targeted in this area before, during the _Kemurikage_ crisis, and he would have the roads through the jungle watched as well.

"You could at least ask, before you take my only bedclothes." Genpei grunted, reaching teasingly for the edge of the blanket around Rila's bare hips. They'd been very energetic the night before, even taking advantage of the hot spring, but he could already feel his libido returning now. His voice took on a playful tone. "We're both pretty accustomed to the heat, you hardly need it."

Rila chuckled. The sphere of light in her palm expanded into a fireball, causing Genpei to draw his hand back hastily. "Don't bother trying to compare how hot your homeland is to mine. This is _winter_ weather, and it still beats the hottest day in Ba Sing Se; you'd never survive here in the summer." She snuffed the fireball out, leaned over and kissed his cheek when he gave her a mock-wounded expression. "After what we'll accomplish today, we'll have plenty of time... if you're still interested. I could use someone to watch my back. Or, as much of me as you like."

"I'll consider it." Genpei smiled briefly, then raised his eyebrows. "Though, you know that I report half of what you say to the Dai Li, right?"

"And _you_ know that I don't give a damn which faction wins what, after this plays out." Rila glanced at him meaningfully. "If it helps sow mistrust between Long Feng and Takeo, the more the merrier. I don't hold allegiance to either of them, and they're going to end up going to war anyway after Zuko's dead. You've seen the tension between your comrades and most of the Fire Nation rebels."

Genpei nodded. It was a testament to both Long Feng and Takeo's patience that their alliance had lasted this long; he and Xi had already broken up several fights. "Still, you should make sure you aren't caught on the wrong side-"

"There isn't a _right_ side, this entire puppet show is just to help those two get back to power. Besides, neither country is ready for war. The Earth Kingdom is no closer to unification, in spite of the new alliance between Kuei and Ariq; some of the western and southern vassals are against war for the sake of preserving their independence. And as long as the Fire Navy and Air Fleet are intact, there's no way for the Earthbenders to strike the Fire Nation itself-"

"But the Fire Nation will be in chaos after Zuko's... death, without a successor." Genpei was choosing his words carefully; he still hadn't told Rila about Azula's involvement, though he was increasingly eager to. "It won't be able to strike the Earth King's forces effectively, either. Unless Takeo can somehow get the entire Fire Nation military behind him from the get-go, it'll be a bloody stalemate."

"Exactly. So, let them destroy each other."

"Long Feng won't let that happen." Genpei shook his head. "He brought order to Ba Sing Se and kept it immune to war for years. If war breaks out again, he can do the same for the rest of the Earth Kingdom; the outlying vassals will remember the threat of the Fire Nation, and give up their stubborn independence in exchange for Ba Sing Se's protection. We have the numbers; all we need is unity, and we can withstand anything the Fire Nation throws at us."

But even as he spoke, Genpei had his doubts. Long Feng still had to claw his way back into power before that unity could be achieved, all while a new war with the Fire Nation was brewing. His agents all across the Earth Kingdom- and especially in Ba Sing Se- reported that the Dai Li were still remembered with fear and hatred by many of the common people. There would be no chance of using some of them to start an uprising- unless they were kidnapped and 'reeducated', which might give the Dai Li away.

Meanwhile, Long Feng had been secretly reaching out, to see if the Earth King's outlying vassals were desperate enough to submit to Dai Li control. His spies had left messages in the homes of various nobles, governors and military leaders, asking them to leave their response to be retrieved by messenger hawk. As expected, most didn't reply, but Joo Dee was disguised as a servant in several of the vassals' households, so the reactions were heard firsthand. Kiyoshi Island, which had built close ties with the Fire Nation in the last twenty years, rejected the Dai Li's proposals outright. Long Feng hadn't bothered to contact Omashu; Ariq was already too closely allied with the Earth King, thanks to the Fire Nation airships hovering over his city.

Only General Fong, the warlord of the Hu Xin province, had given a positive response, but although he despised the Fire Nation and seemed to like the idea of unification through Dai Li control, he still demanded the Earth King's approval before he would fully commit himself. The capture of Princess Hou-Ting gave the Dai Li a bargaining chip to help negotiate their return to Ba Sing Se, particularly since Kuei thought Zuko was behind her kidnapping. But they couldn't hold her indefinitely. Once she was returned, what was _really_ going to stop her father from dismissing and arresting Long Feng again? King Kuei might be timid and used to deferring to advisers, but ultimately his decisions were still final. He wouldn't have forgotten Long Feng's previous treachery with Azula, no matter how persuasive the Grand Secretariat's arguments were.

Genpei believed the Dai Li needed to strike _now_ , to contact the Earth King himself and make their demands known; but Long Feng continued to delay, trying to drum up more support among the frightened or disgruntled vassals. He wanted a stronger personal power base, before he confronted his former master and made him bend the knee. And his need for personal control, while important for the long-term goal of unity and order, was threatening their short-term goal: to help the Earth Kingdom survive the war he and Takeo had laid out.

Rila glanced over at Genpei, reading his expression at a glance. She shook her head. "Wake up, Genpei. Long Feng will sacrifice anything for the sake of his own power base. He sacrificed the chance to invade the Fire Nation during the Day of Black Sun, just to keep the Avatar and his friends away from the Earth King. And when he was arrested only weeks after that, he offered Azula the Dai Li's help in exchange for a _chance_ to get Ba Sing Se back under his thumb- and he ended up handing the last Earth Kingdom stronghold to the Fire Nation." She rolled her eyes. "Takeo's even worse; at least Long Feng knows how to conceal his actions. Men in power are always concerned with keeping it first, maintaining peace and order second. And since both are declared traitors to their nations, they'll have to start civil wars just to get back to the top, no matter how carefully their plans are laid."

Genpei wanted to tell her she was wrong, but her words seemed distressingly prophetic. He'd been recruited by Xi _during_ the occupation- a very unusual circumstance, since most of the Dai Li had been moved to the Fire Nation. His many years in Ba Sing Se had been full of tension and constant fear, that someone would discover his identity as a sleeper agent in the police force. The longer the Dai Li took to secure their power now, the more his other comrades in the same position risked being found out.

Rila squeezed his large, short-fingered hand. "I'm not trying to insult your integrity, but good people can still fight for the wrong reasons. Long Feng isn't going to bring the Earth Kingdom real order for decades, if he ever does at all. Only the Avatar's come close to creating a new system, with the United Republic; everywhere else, the monarchies are still running things into the ground."

Genpei scoffed. "It's a bit hypocritical of you to defend the Avatar, given that he's best friends with the monarch you're Hell-bent on killing."

Rila's eyes flashed, and the tattoo on her _Ajna_ _Chakra_ flared orange. "I wouldn't talk if I were you, Genpei. I'm not trying to restore one of the most repressive regimes in history, in the blind hope that it brings protection and peace; instead, I'm finishing another regime off. And I _do_ have a plan for what happens when the war begins. To build something, you have to tear down what's already there. The Avatar already did that, with the United Republic; it's a new system of order, with a coalition leading it, instead of a single figure."

"Well, forgive me if I'm more concerned about millions of civilians being crushed or burned to death in endless wars or rebellions." Genpei let go of her hand. "Yes, you have to make sacrifices for a 'new system of order', but I'm at least going to try and _reduce_ the casualties. You don't care _who's_ killed along the way, as long as you get your precious revenge. And your plan doesn't center around anyone but yourself and your feelings for one person, who knocked two of your teeth out as a child!"

Rila looked hurt and angry, but rather than lash out, she shoved the blanket aside and stood up. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You told me you were an orphan when Xi found you, and even he's using you for his faction's benefit, just like Takeo and Long Feng. You wouldn't understand what it's like to grow up, when the only people you really ever _know_ are your parents. My father gave me a choice, and as I've said, I've made it. It's up to you to make yours." She grabbed her clothes and strode off toward the hot springs.

Genpei slapped a hand to his forehead, laying back against the uneven carpet of vegetation. Why did he have to start an argument with Rila, on what might be his last chance to see her before the alliance expired? The answer came back almost immediately; she was as stubborn in her opinions as he was.

A sudden vibration jolted the ground under him, rolling him onto his side. Throwing the blanket over his groin, Genpei hastily sat up. Xi was standing a few yards away in front of a bamboo grove, his emotionless eyes fixed on the direction Rila had gone.

"I need to know, Genpei. Is she going to cause trouble, when we reach the target?"

"No." Genpei shook his head firmly. If Xi had any doubts, he would eliminate Rila in the coming battle, once her role was completed. It would be easy for him to make it look like an accident. Genpei inhaled slowly through his nose, relaxing his muscles, calmly watching his mentor until the grey eyes finally met his copper ones. "She's got no loyalty to Takeo, only to herself- and her personal vendetta requires the plan to be followed through. She has no principals."

"And you?"

"You know my devotion to our cause. She's just an amusement, nothing more." Xi couldn't detect dishonesty through vibrations, but all the same, Genpei was relieved that his voice sounded steady. Neither of those statements was fully true, anymore.

Xi watched him for a long moment, then nodded. "Good. Get yourself dressed. We'll be needing both of you, soon enough."

* * *

After a late breakfast, they waited until mid-day before making their way to the edge of the forest. Genpei was grateful for the delay. It wasn't so much the heat as the humidity of the Fire Nation that got to him, as they picked their way through the misty, insect-infested jungle. Rila didn't look angry anymore, but she carefully avoided his gaze throughout the march.

Practically everyone in the group knew about his relationship with Rila by now, though no one had mentioned it except Xi. Shingen had been assigned to lead the Firebending members of the assault team, and he'd kept throwing Genpei dirty looks during the sea voyage. Genpei ignored him, mostly because he enjoyed watching Shingen become seasick. From what he'd seen, Shingen didn't take after his father much, at least in the brains department. Although he'd shown himself to be a very skilled Firebender, easily besting most of his peers in practice _Agni Kais_ , his temper and obsession with Rila made him rather short-sighted.

When the assault force arrived at the edge of the trees, they had barely reached the base of the caldera's slope. Steam and the stench of sulfuric mud rose from various fumaroles, and not far ahead Genpei spotted a sinister orange glow between the folds of dark, volcanic rock; as they drew closer, he began to notice several more. According to Takeo, in the years since the war, the Fire Nation had used a combination of engineering and bending to re-direct the lava away from the old crater and toward the foothills, giving the city an extra, deadly defense mechanism. He swallowed. If one of those veins erupted at the wrong time...

He was lucky to be so in-tune with the vibrations of the ground. The Fire Lords had guarded their Capital well, but centuries of _not_ being invaded had limited their imagination.

"Are we in position to approach the Caldera Cavern?" Xi inquired, glancing at Shingen. He'd been a staff officer in the Royal Palace's lower levels before joining his father's garrison; he knew the geography of the Fire Lord's private bunker well enough to serve as a guide.

"Yes." Shingen replied, not looking at Xi; the Dai Li captain's serene attitude annoyed him nearly as much as Genpei's sleeping with Rila. "Start from here, and we arrive about two yards over the top of the bunker."

"'About?'"

"It doesn't matter, as long as we can sense the tunnels and don't break into them." Shingen replied impatiently.

"Zicheng, you're up in the front. With me." Xi glanced at a tall, slender Dai Li officer with high cheekbones.

Zicheng cracked his knuckles through the stone gauntlets, then raised them in a bending position. He brought his right foot up, then forward and down sharply, imploding a circular, two-meter wide pit into the twisted basalt. Then, instead of the sharp, decisive movements that accompanied most Earthbending, he moved his arms in a more gradual, circular motion, one always above the other, fingers contorting inches from each other. Xi copied him, though more slowly; he had only recently begun learning this exceedingly rare technique.

"This is a waste of time." Shingen growled. "We'll be seen if we're out here much longer-"

"Put a sock in it, Ashmaker." Zicheng replied curtly, without looking up. Shingen started to move toward him, but Genpei stepped between the two quickly. For a moment, he and the Firebender stared each other down, but Shingen finally turned away, smoke rising from his fists.

Suddenly, the temperature of the ground under their feet began to rise, rapidly. Glancing over his shoulder, Genpei saw the basalt in the base of Zicheng's pit begin to glow, fragments pressing and fusing against each other until they liquefied. Molten rock steamed and hissed in front of them.

" _Amazing_." Rila stared, fascinated. "And I thought Metalbending was a game-changer."

Genpei had to agree with her; this was something much rarer than Metalbending, and even more versatile and dangerous. The lava followed the slow, wheeling gestures of Zicheng's arms, rippling outward and melting the walls of the basin-shaped pit, expanding it further. Then, at a gesture from Xi, a large globule of the glowing liquid arced up and over their heads. Several of the Dai Li flinched as Xi flicked it into a nearby lava vein with a sharp _hiss_ , narrowly missing one of the Firebenders. He repeated the procedure as Zicheng continued expanding the base of the lava-filled pit. Within moments, it was deeper than Genpei was tall.

"Remind me why we need these theatrics _now_?" Shingen interrupted, in a clipped tone. "You could just use regular Earthbending until we actually reach the perimeter of the Caldera Cavern."

"Because, if magma unexpectedly seeps into the tunnel from the side, in case _someone_ led us off-course, we'll be more prepared to deal with it." Xi replied dryly, his eyes focused on the expanding pit. "Since your father taught you how to draw heat out of molten rock, perhaps you should join Zicheng at the front, in case that happens. It would do us more good than your constant complaints."

Shingen looked incensed, but Rila stepped forward before he could react. "Never mind, Shingen. Takeo taught _me_ the Steambending trick, too." She held her fists over the mass of molten rock, extended her middle and index fingers, and drew them upwards. There was a hissing, crackling sound as trails of white steam followed her arms; beneath them, the glow of the tunnel's walls had already started to fade. The two Lavabenders continued expanding the tunnel until it was about five feet wide, then stopped to let Rila finish solidifying it.

Genpei grinned at her. "Nice touch, Rila." Rila met his gaze briefly then looked away. "My turn."

He made sure his feet and hands were securely encased in their stone gauntlets and boots, then jumped into the tunnel. Pressing his palms against the wall in front of him, he cocked his head sideways, then tapped his foot sharply on the still-hot, newly-formed basalt. His hands strained to feel the vibrations as they rushed through the volcano, then rebounded back to him. "The bunker is right where Shingen said it would be. But it's not just the bunker, it's surrounded by what seems like a maze of tunnels. We won't be able to travel straight to the Caldera Cavern without running into some of them along the way."

"A maze within a maze." Xi nodded. "Encircled by magma, no less. No wonder the Fire Lord felt safe during the Day of Black Sun."

"And since the Black Sun isn't due to return for another two years, you can bet those tunnels will be well-guarded now." Shingen grunted. "The only way to surprise them, is to weave our way through the lava tubes between the tunnels, then either storm the front door of the bunker or pierce through the metal hull." Ducking the next stream of lava, he jumped into the tunnel and joined Rila in bending the steam out of the still-molten rock.

They continued for hours as the afternoon wore on; Genpei directing, Xi and Zicheng Lavabending, and Rila and Shingen removing the heat so the other Dai Li agents could fuse the newly-formed rock to the tunnel walls. The rest waited at the mouth of the growing passage, watching for Home Guard patrols. It was slow, dangerous work, and the light began to fade as the tunnel went deeper into the volcano, forcing several of the rebels to conjure fireballs. If Zuko's troops spotted the entrance to the tunnel, they were finished; it would take them too long to evacuate. The next tap of Genpei's foot told him there was a magma vein directly in front of them; he hastily warned Xi and Zicheng, who began to slope the tunnel downwards and around.

"We should collapse some of those magma tubes behind us on our way out." He remarked, ducking as another globule of molten rock floated past him.

Xi nodded. "Good idea. If that doesn't throw off the guards pursuing us, I've got another one" He glanced at Zicheng. "After we get around this tube, double back and work on a second exit tunnel, branching off this one."

An hour and a half later, the tunnel had crossed around several magma tubes. Everyone, rebels and Dai Li alike, was dripping with sweat. Rila offered Genpei her waterskin as the group sat down for a brief rest. Wary of Shingen and Xi's eyes on him, he declined with a raised hand, then flashed her a wink and a grateful smile when Xi turned away; the corner of her mouth twitched, as if amused. He wasn't sure if he was forgiven, but he was grateful for the peace offering.

By the time they returned to work after about fifteen minutes, Zicheng had joined them again, having finished his backup tunnel. As he put his hands to the wall again, Genpei realized how close they were to the maze surrounding the bunker; he could feel the vibrations of armor-clad feet ahead of him, both above and below, constantly on the move. He passed this on to Xi and Zicheng, who slowed the pace of their Lavabending. Despite the heat, the Dai Li removed their stone footwear to avoid making noise that might alert the enemy; everyone gradually fell completely silent, except for the hiss and crackle of rocks liquefying and solidifying.

As they rounded another tunnel and Genpei tapped on the fresh ground again- wincing at the burning heat on his bare foot- he became aware of something massive and metallic a few yards ahead, among the rock and magma. Several of the tunnels seemed to be branching back to it, and he couldn't sense anything on the other side of the metal. His mouth went dry. Finally, it was happening.

"The bunker's just ahead." He whispered to Xi and Shingen. "Are we going around for the main entrance, or from the rear?"

"Both have their benefits." Shingen whispered back. Now that they were near their target, his animosity toward the Dai Li seemed to have faded a bit. "Most of the rear wall of the bunker is up against a huge magma vein, so the armor is extra- thick, but on the other hand, they may not expect an attack from such a difficult position." He glanced meaningfully at Rila. "But the noise we'll make coming through that wall will alert everyone inside."

"We'd have to get through guards to attack the front gate, and that will alert everyone inside anyway." Xi replied. "Besides, we're running out of time. We're much closer to the rear of the bunker, and that's where most of the living quarters are; we should strike from there."

"None of us are Metalbenders." Zicheng looked wary. "If that armor can resist the magma always running over it, our bending would never be able to pierce it-"

"You mean, _your_ bending won't be able to pierce it." Rila interrupted. She tapped the tattoo on her forehead, which glowed orange. " _I_ vote for attacking the rear. The rest of you won't have to do any work, which will leave you ready to fight if we need to."

Genpei grinned. Rila's personality matched her power; she was unstoppable. But there were other things he had to consider. "First, we need to determine where everyone is. Give me a minute." He tapped his foot on the ground several times, feeling for the tunnel's walls in the dim light of Shingen's fireball. He could faintly sense people moving around inside the Cavern and near the entrance, but their details- and the passages inside the bunker itself- were blurred and indistinct, thanks to the metal shell. But there were two people he took particular notice of. One was a heavyset old man, sitting in the passage just outside the bunker's door. The other was just behind the rear wall, and though it was hard to distinguish, he noticed it was much smaller than any of the other people inside the Caldera Cavern- a child. And there was only one child that would be here.

"Princess Izumi is right behind the rear wall, probably in her quarters. General Iroh is in the tunnel outside the main gate." He murmured. At the mention of Iroh, Zicheng and the two Dai Li behind him looked uneasy.

"What about Fire Lady Mai?" Rila frowned. "She may not be a bender, but she's certainly dangerous."

Genpei concentrated, tapping his foot a few more times, straining his ear for the returning vibrations. "I can't identify her in the tunnels, but there are about twelve people inside the Cavern, including the Princess. One of them must be Mai."

"I'd rather take my chances with her than the Dragon of the West." Shingen replied dismissively. "We should go for the rear."

Xi nodded, turning to Zicheng. "From here, we'll switch to standard Earthbending until we reach the magma vein; otherwise, it might overflow into the tunnel when we breach it. Once we've got it open, we'll clear the molten rock off a patch of the metal, so that..." He glanced at Rila.

The corner of her mouth curved into a grim smile . "So that I can do what I do best." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her _Ajna Chakra_ began to glow again.

* * *

Izumi knew something was different when she awoke. After over a week in the Caldera Cavern, she was so familiar with the sounds of the volcano around her, the slightest change in routine could disturb her sleep. This time, her dreams had been interrupted by a strange rattling from all sides, like the sound of a swarm locust-scarabs scraping the bark off a cherry tree. She sat up quickly, throwing the cover off her _futon_. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, the walls of the Cavern trembled, and dust trickled from the metal braces across the high ceiling.

She frowned. She'd been shut down here with her aunt since her grandparents had been attacked. Mom and Uncle Tom-Tom had been coming and going, snapping at the guards from time to time, but never able to stay for long. Izumi's frustration with her parents was growing. Only the day after she'd come back from her visit with the Dragons at Phleung Woat, Dad had disappeared without a word, _again_. So much for his promise to tell her more about his plan to capture the outlaw General, Takeo. Mom was busy running the Fire Nation again, but she still wouldn't let Izumi leave the bunker, which meant no Firebending. After learning from probably the best Firebending teachers in the world, she wasn't even allowed to practice? And it was horribly hot down here, even hotter than the Capital's streets during the summer; magma actually ran against the steel-plated hull of the cavern in places, so she had to be careful not to touch the walls.

There were two faint _clangs_ as some object struck the metal hull of the domed room, then rattled down the side. Probably a chunk of still-solid rock carried in the magma, but it sounded like it was... bouncing?

She'd tried to persuade the guards and Kiyi to let her out, before finally giving up and sulking. The guards were usually kind to her, and a little afraid of her temper, but they were more afraid of her parents. Kiyi wanted to get out, too- she said being in the Caldera reminded her of when she'd been kidnapped as a child, and she was worried about Grandfather Ikem. But she also said that if there were enemy Earthbenders near the Capital, it was the safest place for them to be. The underground, steel-plated maze had been built precisely to keep the Royal Family safe from Earthbenders, near the beginning of the war. Izumi knew her great-great- grandfather Sozin had been a monster, but she had to admit that in war, he'd thought of just about everything.

Or had he? The chamber suddenly shook again, harder this time. She got up from her bed hastily, backing toward the opposite wall, her eyes on the ceiling where the dust had come from. Her fingers felt for a small bell-cord hanging near the door, jerking it sharply. There was the cranking sound of a heavy steel bolt being drawn back, and two of the Imperial Firebenders rushed in.

"You called for us, Princess?"

"There's something outside. I woke up and there was something clanging on the hull, something heavy. Didn't you feel the walls shaking?"

One of the guards shook his head, smiling at her in a condescending way. "The walls are always shaking a bit back here, Princess. Magma from the main vein keeps building up along the back of the Caldera Cavern, before it erupts out the vents-"

His voice was cut off by a sharp, metallic _thud_ directly over their heads, accompanied by a tremor that almost knocked them off their feet. Glancing up, Izumi saw a dent the size of her head in the steel plates across the ceiling.

"Does that look like magma to you?" The other guard snapped. "There's someone out there, trying to get in."

"How could they have gone _through_ the main magma vein?"

"It doesn't matter _how_ , they're here!" The second guard conjured a fireball over his fist, turning to Izumi. "Princess Izumi, go join your aunt in the main chamber! We're going to seal this one off."

Izumi took off before he was finished speaking, weaving her way through passages, lit only with lanterns made of luminous crystal. The dim lighting didn't bother her; after a week down here with nothing to do, she knew most of the dead-ends and roundabout tunnels blindfold. But now, every shadow might have an enemy behind it. She could feel her breath coming faster, her heart pounding in her ears. Turning a darkened corner, she almost ran into a figure coming the other way. Instinctively, she jumped back and conjured a firepoint on each hand.

"Whoa, Izumi, it's me!" Aunt Kiyi threw up her hands hastily. "I heard some kind of noise from your end of the bunker- were you trying to practice charged Firebending again?"

"Nope. Something's outside my room, trying to get in." Izumi grabbed her aunt's hand and marched her back towards the throne chamber, where her grandfather Ozai had sheltered during the Day of Black Sun. Two more Imperial Firebenders outside the entrance bowed their heads; one of them rapped a pipe along the wall with his pike, three times. The studded steel door- reinforced with a layer of platinum, something even Metalbenders couldn't use- slid back, and Izumi rushed inside, pulling Kiyi with her. To her surprise, she found her mother and uncle there as well.

"Mom?"

"Do we know who it is yet?" Mai was speaking sharply to an Air Fleet scout. Tomoru and two more of the Imperial Firebenders stood next to her. "We all know who sent them, but we need exact numbers and identities."

"There's been no sign of any enemy activity around the Capital until this morning, and believe me, Fire Lady, we've been waiting for it since Zuko left." The scout wiped sweat from his brow. "We found evidence of a camp in the forest, but we lost their trail near the caldera. One of my fellow scouts reported a small disturbance along the edge of the fumaroles an hour ago, but we thought that was just a minor eruption-"

Tomoru smacked his fist into his palm. "Whoever they are, they've found a way to navigate through the magma. It's not so improbable; after all, Toph Beifong and the Avatar managed to, during the Day of Black Sun."

"Meaning, the Cavern's defenses aren't going to stop them." Mai flicked her wrist, and three red-tinted _shuriken_ glinted between her fingers.

"True, but at least they don't have any Metalbenders, or we'd already be surrounded." Tomoru glanced down the passage that led toward Izumi's room; the walls trembled slightly as the unseen attacker hammered at the Cavern's armor. "We should evacuate, before they cut us off-"

"They already have." Kiyi interrupted. "Izumi said they were trying to get in through her room."

"Because they're here for her." Tomoru nodded. "That's why they're targeting her quarters."

"But how did they know where she was, in the Cavern?"

"One of them must have a seismic sense, just like Toph Beifong's. Which means they also know exactly how many people are inside the bunker."

"But they don't know _who's_ inside the bunker." Kiyi cracked her knuckles. Despite Izumi's growing anxiety, she felt the same thrill as her aunt; finally, something was happening.

"We're not going to fight them head-on if we can avoid it, Kiyi." Mai's tone was grim. "if they're confident enough to attack us here, either they outnumber us significantly or they're fanatical enough that they don't care about their own survival. One misstep from either side might cause a cave-in that could flood the complex with magma and kill us all."

The walls of the bunker trembled again. From the direction Izumi had come from, there was a sudden muffled _boom_ , along with the sound of tearing metal. Then, there were shouts and the _whoosh_ of flames; the attackers, whoever they were, had gotten inside the Cavern. Izumi felt a chill of fear mingling with her excitement.

Mai turned to the Imperial Firebenders and the scout. "Go outside the gate and alert General Iroh, then get to the surface. Have the other Imperial Firebenders occupy the palace and block the tunnels leading to this bunker, then contact General On Ji. Tell her to call in as many of the Home Guard as she can on short notice."

One of the guards looked troubled. "Fire Lady, we should focus on getting you, the Princess, Lady Kiyi and Minister Tomoru to safety first-"

"No." Mai cut him off with a brisk shake of her head. "The rebels might have more waiting at the entrance to the Cavern to grab Izumi as she comes out; it's too easy to attack."

Tomoru nodded. "Cutting off their escape route should be the priority. They may have come here for a kidnapping, but they can't get out that quickly, not in the heart of a volcano. The Home Guard should cover every inch of the caldera's walls; use airships if you have to."

"The caldera's too large to patrol quickly, and most of the airships went with Zuko to Omori."

 _"Ashura_ spawn." Tomoru shook his head. "Of course, Takeo would have thought of that. Tell On Ji to do what she can."

"With all due respect, Fire Lady, we should at least take the Princess with us, for her own safety-"

"I have my daughter's safety well in hand, thank you very much." Mai replied coldly. She crouched and put her hands on Izumi's shoulders. "Izumi, you remember when I showed you the inside of the ventilation shaft? Where you can climb out if there's an emergency?"

Izumi nodded. There was a set of ladder rungs and ledges that wound their way up the inside of the shaft, all the way to the surface.

"I need you to climb it now, with Uncle Tom-Tom. Keep him safe for me, will you?"

Uncertain, Izumi nodded. "But... what about you, Mom?" She thought she knew the answer, and she felt another stab of fear when she saw the tight smile on her mother's face.

"I'm... going to try and talk with them, to Takeo's rebels." She pulled Izumi into a tight hug, so close Izumi could feel her heart pounding. Mai was good at hiding her emotions, but right now she was just as scared as Izumi. "Izumi, they're coming for _you_. They don't want me, so I'll be fine. You have to get to the surface, understand?"

Izumi felt the corners of her eyes getting hot. Mai pulled herself back and looked directly into her daughter's eyes. "I know you can fight, Izumi. But now isn't a time for fighting, it's a time for _surviving_ , at any cost. You and Tom-Tom get to the surface, _then_ make a plan to strike back. Understand?" After a long pause, Izumi nodded, blinking back tears. Mai kissed her forehead. "I love you. Don't forget that, ever." She stood up, rotating the _shuriken_ between her fingers again. "Kiyi, you'll wait around the corner and cover me, if it turns ugly?"

Kiyi nodded grimly. There was a particularly lound _whoosh_ of flames in the passage, then silence, then the sounds of something hitting a metal surface. The rebels must have beaten the two Imperial Firebenders; now they were trying to break through the door that the guards had welded shut behind them. Once they broke through that, only two guards were left between them and the throne room.

Kiyi squeezed Izumi's shoulders briefly. "It's gonna be okay, Izumi. I've got your mom's back. _Go._ "

Izumi wanted to protest; her frustrations with her mother's absence and her aunt's constantly beating her at _Agni_ _Kai_ seemed so petty and unimportant now. Biting her lip, she forced herself to turn away, hurrying through the steel door her uncle was holding open for her. As soon as she was through, he slammed it shut behind them and spun the wheel, drawing double bolts across it. They were in a dark room lit with a single crystal lantern, filled with massive pipes and bellows. At the back, built into the wall, was the base of the ventilation shaft. Izumi could feel her uncle's hand shaking as he pried the door open and ushered her into it. Immediately, she was surrounded by the cold breeze of fast-flowing air, making her shiver.

She finally found her voice. "Are you scared, Uncle Tom-Tom?"

"Oh, you have no idea." Tomoru let out a shaky, mirthless laugh. "I... I wish I was half as brave as your Aunt Kiyi. We were both kidnapped by the _Kemurikage_ when we were five years old, and she didn't even flinch; she _threatened_ our captors." He took a deep breath. "And here I am, a grown man, and I'm still shaking like a leaf."

"I'm scared, too." Izumi paused, then felt for his hand in the dark and squeezed it. "Dad says that fear can help you stay alive."

"Well, then right now we must be the best survivors in the Fire Nation." Tomoru squeezed her hand back, then felt for the ladder rungs. "Can you give me a little light?"

Izumi conjured a small firepoint. They found the wall with the rungs and began to climb, but when she reached the horizontal shaft that ran across the ceiling of the main chamber, Izumi paused. Then, she pulled herself onto the ledge and crawled into it, approaching a grate where the air entered the room.

Behind her, Tomoru cursed to himself and crawled after her. "Izumi, we need to get to the surface! Your mom's talking to them to buy us time-"

"You can go to the surface if you want to, Uncle." Izumi replied as she drew nearer to the grate. She could see light from the room below. "I can take care of myself."

"Honestly..." Tomoru sighed in exasperation, but he wasn't in much of a position to argue. If they actually ran into an enemy, he would be nearly useless, while Izumi was trained in three different forms of combat. Besides, he hated the idea of leaving his sister behind as much as Izumi did.

Careful to move without making noise, she reached the grate and peered through the metal mesh. The sounds of battle were getting nearer, but Mai was sitting on the throne, as if nothing was wrong. The last four guards stood on either side of her, facing the passage that led to the living quarters. Kiyi was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, there was a faint, double _pop_ outside the door Izumi and Kiyi had come through. A second later, there was an explosion that blew the steel-and-platinum door off its' hinges. Smoke billowed into the room; when it began to clear, a group of about twenty people entered. A few wore Fire Army uniforms (except that the parts of their armor that should have been red were black) but most wore khaki-and-green outfits, with studded gauntlets and broad, dome-shaped hats with dark green brims. They were barefoot, and gloves made of earth and rock covered their hands. Izumi was shocked; Takeo's rebels had _Earthbenders_ helping them?

If Mai was surprised by this, she covered it well. "Shingen." She spoke to the Firebenders' leader, a tall colonel with amber eyes. "You served Zuko loyally for over a decade. Seems a pity to throw it all away now."

Shingen shrugged, an ugly smile on his face. "You and Zuko brought my defection on yourselves, when you declared my father a traitor-"

"Oh, don't give me _that_ excuse." Mai scoffed. " _My_ father helped lead a conspiracy against Zuko in the second year of his reign, and that was _before_ Zuko and I reconciled. And you know what? I _still_ denounced him and helped put him in prison. Because I knew what was right, and I knew what _loyalty_ meant, not the rubbish Takeo feeds his troops before a battle. So don't give me a pathetic sob story about your loyalty to your father- who, by the way, would throw you to the wolves if it put him on the throne."

The smirk vanished from Shingen's face and his eyes narrowed. One of the Earthbenders- a stern-faced bald man with grey eyes- stepped forward. "We don't have any quarrel with you, Lady Mai. Nor with your family. All we want is the girl, and I assure you, we have no intention of harming her."

Izumi sat up sharply, and Tomoru grabbed her to stop her from banging her head on the ceiling of the shaft. She struggled to reach the latch that would open the grate, but he had her wrists in an iron grip. "Izumi, I know what you're thinking. Not in a thousand years. No."

"-would I believe you?" Mai was saying. The Imperial Firebenders on either side of her had taken fighting stances. "You're from Omashu, which my father governed during its' wartime occupation. No Earth Kingdom city has more reason to hate both my family _and_ Zuko's. Add that to at least a _hundred_ reasons I wouldn't let you within a mile of my child- who the _Hell_ do you think I am?" Her voice had barely risen, but Izumi had always been able to sense her mother's mood. Mai wasn't scared anymore, she was _furious_. "You knew I would spit on that offer, so why did you bother to make it?"

"To save you some pain, unless there's no other choice." A tall Firebender with dark hair answered. She had a strange tattoo on her forehead, like a red eye with six claws curving up around it. Her voice was calm, but her eyes had a hard, cold look in them.

A huge Earthbender with a shaggy, brown beard stepped past her hastily, raising his hand; the stone gauntlet broke off his wrist, re-forming into a ball in mid-air. "We don't aim to cause pain here, Fire Lady. We've just got a job to do-"

"So do I." Mai's voice was flat. "And it involves making your job _difficult._ " She swung her leg up, flicking her foot sideways. A cluster of steel-headed darts fired from the launcher strapped to her calf, shattering the stone ball; one of them zipped past and impaled Shingen through the palm. He let out a roar of pain as the rest of the rebels fired on the throne, but Mai had already leaped off, rolled across the floor and taken cover behind a heavy table, forcing the Earthbenders to duck as she hurled a hail of _shuriken_ at them. As her guards returned fire, a charged burst of flame shot from the door across the room, knocking three of the Firebenders flat. Izumi couldn't see who had launched it, but it had to be Kiyi. She felt a sudden surge of glee; her Mom and her aunt were wiping the floor with these thugs!

But the Imperial Firebenders were relying too much on power over movement, and now the Earthbenders took advantage of that. As three of them drew the guards' fire, the others detached their earthen gloves from their forearms. Still in the shape of hands, the gloves shot forward and grabbed three guards by their collars, ankles and wrists, dragging them down and trapping them against the floor. Kiyi rushed into Izumi's line of vision, delivering a spinning kick that blasted two of the Earthbenders off their feet, but Shingen and the woman both launched fire bursts at her, forcing her back. The last Imperial Firebender managed to deflect and shatter several of the earthen gloves, but the Earthbenders simply re-formed the fragments and kept attacking, looking for an opening. Finally, a charged burst from one of the Firebenders caught the guard in her knee, bringing her down. From across the room, Mai launched another hail of missiles, but she couldn't get any closer. Against Fire and Nonbenders, she could protect herself just fine at close-quarters, but against Earth or Waterbenders she had to keep her distance in case they tried to immobilize her.

Kiyi, meanwhile, had been backed into a corner by Shingen and the tall woman, making it hard for her to maneuver. She deflected a burst from Shingen and counterattacked, scorching his side, but this left her open to a fire-arc from the woman's elbow. The force of the attack slammed her against the wall and she slumped to the floor, dazed.

Tomoru started to pull Izumi away, back toward the escape shaft. "We need to go, Izumi."

"No." Izumi locked her hands onto the edge of the grate. "No, you're not taking me away-"

"We have no choice!" He hissed. "They're overwhelmed; the best way to help them is to get reinforcements-"

"I don't want to hurt her, but I will if I need to." The woman's voice below caused both Tomoru and Izumi to freeze. "Would you rather we torture _her_ , until you tell us where the girl is?"

Tomoru clamped his hand over Izumi's mouth as she opened it to scream. There was a long pause, then Mai's voice answered, tight as a bowstring. "...Kiyi knew the risks. She could have told me no, and I would have let her go to the surface. And she _stayed_. You already know my answer."

"Then _you_ bring this on her." Shingen snarled, his teeth gritted in pain. There was a fluttering noise as a flame flickered to life-

"Take your hands off her." A gravely voice rang out, one Izumi knew well. Ripping herself free of her uncle's grip, she pressed her face to the grate.

The rebels and the Earthbenders- several of them showing injuries, two of them dead with _shuriken_ in their throats- were standing in the center of the room, near the destroyed throne. One of the Firebenders was holding Kiyi upright by the collar, the woman holding a flame near her face. Mai was no longer crouching behind the table, but standing upright, another _shuriken_ ready to throw in her left hand. But the attackers weren't looking at her, they were turned towards the doorway that lead to the Caldera Cavern's main entrance.

Iroh stood in the doorway, his arms raised in a fighting stance. His black, gold and maroon robe and trousers didn't hide the size of his belly, and he was at least six inches shorter than any of the attackers. His snowy hair wasn't in its' usual topknot, but framed his face and mingled with the beard that hung almost to his waist. But his lined jaw was clenched, and there was a terrible look in his golden eyes.

"I don't know who you are, and I don't care." Iroh's tone was flat, but like her mother, Izumi could feel the fury radiating off him with every word. "You come to harm my blood, my _family_ , stealing in and out like thieves. You aren't welcome here. This is your only warning."

And suddenly Izumi wasn't seeing her grand-uncle, the wise, gentle old man whose beautiful tea-shop was a second home to her. She saw the Dragon of the West, the former Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, the General who had broken through Ba Sing Se's Outer Wall twice. The Firebenders in the group had the same reaction; nearly all of them took a step back, except Shingen and the tattooed woman.

The bald Earthbender looked surprised, but he recovered quickly. "One old man isn't going to stop us, no matter how many courtesy titles he has. You should've stayed in Ba Sing Se and lived out your days making tea, General Iroh; you're past your prime."

"Would you care to test that theory?" Iroh made a tiny, beckoning gesture with the last two fingers of his right hand. "Perhaps you'd like a demonstration of how I _got_ those titles." He put his hands together, palms and fingers flat, and inhaled deeply through his nose. Two of the Earthbenders chuckled, but the bearded one wasn't smiling; he brought his elbows back and his fists to either side of his belt.

At that moment, Kiyi brought her knee up and struck her captor in the groin. As he doubled over in pain, she wrenched herself free of his grip. Most of the Earthbenders turned to face her, launching a barrage of small stone projectiles, but she leaped sideways, slid along the floor and rolled behind the table next to Mai, evading the attack. As they continued firing on her, Shingen roared, "IGNORE HER, YOU IDIOTS! KEEP YOUR EYES ON IROH-"

But he was interrupted by a terrific blast that shook the entire chamber. Two brilliant streaks of white fire rocketed into the Earthbenders on Shingen's left, hurling them past Mai and against the metal braces crisscrossing the far wall. Izumi stared from their scorched, broken bodies to the smoke rising from Iroh's fists. His eyes narrowed. "What comes next, you have only yourselves to answer for."

Two of the Firebenders turned and darted toward the passage they had come through, but a hail of steel darts and _shuriken_ pinned them to the walls. Mai hurled two more, then ducked as Shingen returned fire. The rest of the Earthbenders, led by the bearded one, formed double ranks, facing Iroh. As the first rank lifted their earthen-clad fists and thrust them forward in a knife position, Iroh took a deep breath. A barrage of needle-like stone splinters whipped toward him, but at the last second he opened his mouth and let loose a torrent of bright orange fire, incinerating them inches from his face. Iroh rotated his hands in a circular motion, conjuring a small sphere of light between his fingers, then hurled it. It expanded into a huge disc of flames, zipping across the room in a circular arc like a boomerang, forcing all the attackers to duck or be roasted. One straightened up after it passed, only to be caught by one of Kiyi's fireballs from behind.

Iroh took advantage of his enemies' distraction and advanced, launching steady bursts of flame from each fist, shattering any defense they tried to put up. The Earthbenders' leader began to retreat toward the door, yelling at their comrades to follow; the bearded one quickly obeyed, followed by the others. Only Shingen was left facing Iroh, conjuring a wall of fire to deflect his barrage- no, Shingen _and_ the tattooed woman.

And then the woman tilted her head back, and Izumi saw the mark on her forehead begin to glow faintly. She didn't know what it meant, but a stab of fear swept through her again. She felt her mouth move, but it seemed that someone else was screaming a warning at Iroh, to run, run, _run_ -

There were two sharp _pops_ , like logs on a fire, and then there was a roar louder than Ran and Shaw combined. There was a blinding flash of light, something hit her with the force of a war-hammer, everything was shaking, shaking-

Then her head slammed against the metal wall of the shaft, and everything went dark.

* * *

Genpei waited until the ringing in his ears had subsided to a faint buzz, then straightened up. He'd managed to get behind the edge of the door-frame when Rila fired, which had shielded him from the shock-wave of her attack. Thank the Spirits, the throne room hadn't been near a magma tube. He had nothing else to be thankful for, though, he thought bitterly; they had failed. The Home Guard would reach the Cavern at any moment, and they had nothing to show for their mission except multiple dead and injured. He glanced at the three Dai Li behind him, then realized Xi wasn't among them; they were looking expectantly at _him_. He coughed, clearing dust from his throat, then gestured to the passage that led back to Princess Izumi's quarters. "Get back to the tunnel and evacuate. I'll be right behind you, I'm going to look for survivors." His voice seemed to come from far away- the explosion must have deafened him somewhat- but they got the message.

He poked his head cautiously around the door-frame. Several pieces of broken furniture were blazing, the walls were blackened by the explosion, and part of the steel plating from the ceiling had given in where Rila's Combustion bolt had struck, raining volcanic rock around the exit. A handful of Dai Li and rebels were starting to stagger upright, clutching their ears or other injuries, but at least five of them lay dead, along with three of the Imperial Firebenders. Iroh was lying among the debris near the door, blood oozing from his temple, his eyes closed. Rila stood over him, a strange expression on her face; her armor was covered in dust and ash, but she seemed unhurt.

Genpei came over and put his hand on her shoulder. "Is he alive?" His voice was coming back, faintly.

"Barely." Rila's jaw was clenched, but she squeezed his hand back. "I didn't want it to be like this, Genpei."

"I know." He put his arm around her, ignoring Shingen, who was struggling to pull himself upright one-handed. "You only acted out of desperation-"

"I mean, avenging my father. No one else was supposed to get hurt along the way, it was just supposed to be me and Zuko."

"I know. But casualties always happen. You tried to tell me that, so many times." His own drive was much less personal than Rila's, but it would cost far more lives, if it came to war. Was it really worth it? He started to tug her gently toward the door. "We need to go-"

"Genpei!" A voice interrupted him. Squinting through the smoke, he caught sight of Zicheng, staggering over the wreckage of a table. A small body was slung over his shoulders, wearing a red and gold robe and a topknot in its' hair. His pulse quickened. Had they succeeded, after all?

"You _got_ Izumi?" Rila looked astonished. "How?"

"I heard a child's scream just over our heads, right before you used your Combustion bolt. She was in the ventilation shaft; the explosion must have knocked her out, but she's breathing just fine-"

"Good, let's get _out_ of here." Shingen interrupted gruffly, gesturing toward the doorway Iroh was laying across. "The Home Guard will be here any moment, and we don't have any room to maneuver."

"Give her to me, Zicheng; we need you to Lavabend." Genpei scanned the room as he took the girl. Shingen was right: with at least five of the group dead, several injured and the rest outside the city, they couldn't afford to be cornered, even with Izumi as a hostage. Glancing around a final time for survivors, he started toward the door-

" _Stop!_ " Mai's voice was no longer cool and collected, but shrill and commanding. Peering through the smoke, Genpei spotted her standing on the far side of the room. Xi was right in front of her, Kiyi and the last Imperial Firebender next to her. All four were bruised and battered, their clothes blackened with soot. Kiyi's nose was bleeding and her left arm hung limply at her side, while Mai had a cut over her left eye.

Mai had her right arm looped around Xi's forearms, holding them behind his back. The left held a three-pronged dagger against his throat. Genpei froze.

"Lay her on the ground, and I'll have the guards stand down." Mai's eyes were shining, but she didn't blink. "The Earthbenders will be free to go, along with this one." She indicated Xi with a jerk of her chin. "Better yet, turn on the Firebenders who came with you, and we'll grant you asylum for your conspiracy against the Fire Lord _and_ the Earth King. One-time offer."

"What was that about loyalty?" Shingen sneered at her, but his eyes flickered warily to the Dai Li around him; of all the Omori rebels, he had done the most to antagonize them, and everyone knew it.

"Obviously, circumstances have... changed." Mai replied. Her voice shook for a moment, but her hand was steady as a rock. Her eyes fell on Genpei, and she dug the knife-tip into Xi's neck, causing a small trickle of blood. "You need your captive alive; I don't. You have ten seconds, or he dies. I'm waiting for an answer. Ten... Nine..."

Genpei knew she meant it. As he had learned in his years patrolling the slums of Ba Sing Se, there were few things more dangerous than a desperate parent. He glanced quickly at Rila, then at Xi, unsure of what to do...

And then Xi thrust his head up, pressing his throat harder against the edge of the blade, and barked a single sentence: " _Stay the course, Genpei!_ "

The instinct of obeying the man who had trained him for more than half his life, kicked in. Genpei tightened his grip around the girl's body and rushed through the door. He heard a choked gasp as Xi's windpipe was slashed, Mai screaming her daughter's name, the _whoosh_ as Kiyi launched another burst of flame after them, the shouts of more Imperial Firebenders approaching. But he didn't look back. His feet pounded down the passages toward the escape tunnel, Shingen and the others ahead of him, Rila gripping his free hand.

 _Stay the course, Genpei_.

Xi was right. He and Rila had both given too much, to turn back now.


	13. Chapter 11: Republic City, Spirit World

Xai Bau rapped Zaheer's shoulder with the baton. " _Focus_."

"Sorry, _sifu_." Zaheer bowed his head, but his impish expression didn't look sorry at all. "There's... a lot of distractions here."

They were picking their way along a series of narrow, steep-sided mountains in the Spirit World. A pale, green-tinted fog swirled around them, rising out of the chasms below. Only a few occasional rays of sunlight broke through, but luckily Māoyan was leading their way. The _kitsune_ floated along just ahead of the two humans, her luminous tails bobbing through the mist like lanterns. Every few hundred yards she would stop and yelp, warning them of a turn or gap in the path that would send them hurtling into the abyss. Not that the fall here would kill them, but all the same, this was a dangerous corner of the Spirit World to visit.

Xai Bau had only brought Zaheer along in order to give him more of a challenge. Every few steps or so, he would launch a sudden attack. Zaheer would do his best to outmaneuver him, while keeping his footing on the treacherous ground. It was hardly a fair contest, but Zaheer didn't seem to mind; after all, he'd been fighting to survive for several years. At least the boy didn't need to scavenge for food anymore; he and a few his friends were living comfortably at Jin's inn back in Ba Sing Se.

Meanwhile, Xai Bau was visiting Republic City in search of information on Princess Hou-Ting's kidnapping. Every other day, he meditated into the Spirit World, then sent Māoyan to summon Zaheer for more training.

"Distractions can happen at any time, never more so than when you're in combat. Provided you're in _tune_ with the environment around you, sometimes 'distractions' can be solutions." To make his point, Xai Bau thrust his baton forward suddenly. Zaheer leaped nimbly back- only to catch his heel on a root and fall on his side. As his body rolled toward the cliff-edge, he lunged out and grabbed a patch of hanging vines, arresting his fall. A small dragon-eel spirit floated up over the ledge. Ignoring Māoyan's angry yips, it poked at the boy's tunic with its' beak curiously, before losing interest and floating away. Xai Bau let the boy pull himself back onto the path before he stepped forward.

"In battle, you have to take in _everything_ in the time before your opponent strikes- which can be after a few pretentious insults, or the moment you face them. Sensing vibrations allows you to do so if it's hard to see, or if you can't get a visual of what's behind or beside you in time." He offered his baton to Zaheer, then rapped his hand sharply when the boy reached out. "Accepting offers of chivalry like _that,_ makes you vulnerable. _Always_ assume your opponent is more devious than you, and you'll never be surprised."

Zaheer rubbed his wrist as he pulled himself upright, looking chagrined. "Where did _you_ learn that?"

"I was lucky enough to sit in on a class at the Beifong Metalbending Academy. Toph Beifong was born blind, so when she began developing her Earthbending, her training magnified her other senses. Not that you should discard sight as a tool, but if you rely too heavily on it, it's impossible to be in tune with your environment. Which is especially important if you're fighting benders."

Zaheer nodded as they continued along the narrow path. "Must give _Earthbenders_ a huge advantage."

"You'd be surprised." Xai Bau shrugged. "Earthbenders _do_ usually become more in-tune with vibrations, but only through the ground. They're actually some of the easiest for Nonbenders to catch off-guard, provided you get close quickly and target _chi_ points." To prove his point, he darted toward Zaheer again, his rod lightly tapping the boy's forearms, shoulders blades, neck and knee in quick succession. "Earthbender attacks mostly involve striking or paralyzing targets from a distance- but paralyzing is much harder if their target _isn't_ touching the ground." His thoughts flashed back to his conversation with Liu Tao, in Ba Sing Se. "If you can evade an Earthbender long enough to get within range, it's very easy to bring them down. Firebenders and Waterbenders are a bit harder to deal with, because their attacks- and their movements- tend to be much more maneuverable, even if their defense is weaker."

"And Airbenders?" Zaheer glanced up, looking eager. "I know, there's only one left, but you've met him, haven't you?"

A smile touched the corner of Xai Bau's mouth. "Not in _combat_ , if that's what you mean. Airbenders are probably the _most_ difficult for nonbenders to fight, because they're nearly impossible to pin down; from what I've seen of Aang's Airbending, he relies on constant movement and redirection."

"I heard that the Air Nomads used to look after _all_ people who came to their temples, not just their own." The boy's expression turned forlorn. "They found the perfect way to live, without taking away from the Mortal World or the Spirits _or_ each other, only giving back."

Xai Bau glanced at him curiously. Zaheer didn't open up very much, when they were training- he just practiced every fighting technique he was shown, relentlessly. His years in the orphanage and on the streets had taught him how to steal, dodge and escape, but not how to strike back. But the boy was learning fast, and no matter how many bruises he took from the warrior's rod, he always got up and demanded more. Xai Bau had never seen such determination, especially in a child. Only when Māoyan or another creature approached them, did Zaheer seem to soften and become a child again; he was always entranced by the Spirits, and seemed to prefer them over humans. Given his childhood in the slums of Ba Sing Se, that was no surprise.

"If the rest of the world was like the Air Nomads, the Hundred Year War wouldn't have happened." Zaheer continued, his expression grim. "And of course, one of the other Nations had to come along and destroy them."

Xai Bau sighed, laying his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Sadly, not all the people of the other nations are as enlightened as you and the Air Nomads, Zaheer." He remarked, his tone half-teasing. "People are cursed with different opinions."

The joke went over Zaheer's head; his tone darkened. "Yeah, but it isn't difference of opinion that turns people against each other. It's _governments_ that force those opinions on people who don't agree with them, make their own opinions law. "

Xai Bau wasn't sure what to say to that. Personally, he was contemptuous of most governments, but the alternative was chaos, and governments usually rose out of chaos anyway. He was saved from answering by a sudden yip from Māoyan, who had halted at the next curve.

As they came around the corner, a huge, gnarled grey tree loomed out of the fog. At its' base was a vast, dark fissure between the roots. Māoyan was staring into it, the fur on her neck bristling and a growl building in her throat. Zaheer's eyes widened. "We're going in there?"

Xai Bau turned to his pupil. "... _I_ am. We're done, for today. Go back to the grove with Māoyan and practice for another hour, then return to the Mortal World." Zaheer opened his mouth to protest, but the baton rapped his hand again. "Don't argue. I need to speak with the spirit who lives under this tree, but it will require total concentration. The slightest mistake, and you're dead. I didn't take you in, just so you could be trapped in the Spirit World for eternity and go mad."

Looking mildly annoyed, Zaheer whistled to Māoyan, who eagerly bounded up to him and hopped onto his shoulder. Xai Bau watched them re-trace the path until they were swallowed up by the fog again, then took off his reed-woven hat and strode down into the cavern. A single, narrow ray of light filtered through a crack in the ceiling, shining off the massive tap-root that came down from the tree-trunk above him.

As soon as his body came completely into the shadows, there was a rustling noise that seemed to come from everywhere at once. The old man flicked his eyes to his right. For a second, the narrow beam of light played off a black, segmented shell and row after row of hooked legs, rising and falling as a giant, centipede-like form scurried across the root-covered wall. Then the spiked abdomen followed the rest of the body into the shadows again.

"How long has it been?" A sibilant voice came out of the darkness; the rustling sound increased.

"Five years, since I last stepped in here." Xai Bau replied. He dropped into a sitting position and laid his baton across his lap, blinking slowly to accustom his eyes to the gloom. "This is the seventh time I've visited, and you still haven't redecorated."

"Forgive me. I'm afraid there isn't much need for it." A guttural chuckle came from over his head. "Most of my guests wouldn't be able to... _appreciate_ decoration, by the time they left, and those that do usually don't return."

In his early trips to the Spirit World, Xai Bau would have kept his eyes closed when he came to speak with Koh the Face-Stealer. But now, his lessons on the Seven Chakras with Pathik came back to him: _Fear blocks survival. Lies cover the truth. Illusions hide insight._ He wasn't afraid of this ancient Spirit anymore, although there was good reason to be. His seismic sense already told him exactly where Koh was, so illusions of sound had no effect on him- and now that his vision had adjusted, neither did illusions of the dark. As for lies, Koh nearly always spoke the truth- he simply liked telling it in riddles, for there was a bigger risk of his victim becoming frustrated and showing emotion.

"I think, the last time you were here, you asked me something about whether it would be ethical to... _alter_ the Avatar Cycle? Perhaps even find a way to _end_ it?" Koh's voice purred.

Xai Bau felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but he kept his face like stone. He had never said those words to anyone, even if the thought had passed through his mind- innocently, academically- in his younger years, before he made a vow never to take lives. But Koh's words hinted that he might say them aloud... in the future. Time passed differently in the Spirit World, and some of the oldest Spirits could see it in a non-linear form. Was Xai Bau really going to consider ending the Avatar, one day? Or was Koh simply baiting him?

"That question... hasn't come up, yet. I think you may have your timing confused."

"Perfectly possible." Koh agreed. His shadow scurried across the giant roots that framed the ceiling; the rattling of his clawed legs echoed around the cavern. "Time is an oddity for me, especially when it's connected with humans _outside_ the Spirit Realm. When they're right in front of me, when I can see their faces, it's _so_ much easier; one look at your eyes, and I know every decision you've ever made, or will make. But putting it in order when there's no one here, ahh... you humans have it so much easier. You have one _piece_ of time stretched out, instead of _all_ of it thrown at you at once. There's so many details, I can't even make sense of some of my _own_ history."

Koh's spiked abdomen curled down from the ceiling, dangling right in front of Xai Bau's face. It twisted sideways, letting the light play off a burn scar that had cracked the armor plating and fused two of the legs together. "For example, I've no idea where _this_ came from. It was either with a family member of one of my...guests, or an unintentional visit to the Gorge of the Phoenix. Did I ever discuss it with you?"

"You did." Xai Bau shook his head wearily. Koh nearly always asked his visitors a question, before he answered theirs; sometimes difficult, sometimes hard. Xai Bau was sure that the Face-Stealer remembered more than he pretended to, but he had to play the game if he wanted to learn anything. "it was Avatar Kuruk. He tried to kill you for stealing his fiance's face."

"Ah, yes! Much appreciated." The abdomen curled back upward, out of his line of sight. There was another rattling of arthropod legs, and the shadowy form slithered down the tap-root of the tree, coiling up a few yards in front of him. "He _did_ take that personally, the sentimental fool. Shouldn't have been such an idler- _unlike_ that boy who was with you outside my cave."

Xai Bau glanced quickly over his shoulder, back toward the entrance. "Zaheer?"

"That's the one! He chose his new name well, the name his birth-parents gave him was so feeble." Koh's voice sounded amused yet pleased- even a little impressed. "Not to worry, he's gone now. But I caught a glimpse of him as you arrived. _There's_ one who will shape the world, not let it shape him. I presume he's what you came to ask me about?"

"Possibly." Xai Bau was trying to keep his questions as few as possible. Though he'd gotten better at deciphering Koh's riddles over the years- especially since the Face-Stealer tended to repeat himself- he never let himself forget that the slightest slip could be fatal. And the more questions he asked, the more riddles he would have to answer. "He... _may_ be part of a vision that Guru Pathik gave me-"

"Pathik?" Koh scoffed, uncurling himself and slinking forward. "That up-jumped _human_ has no idea what he's meddling with. Just because he can sort time onto a _line,_ he thinks he's ready to interpret what hasn't happened yet."

His head raised off the ground as he approached the beam of light, and Xai Bau felt a chill. Had Pathik come to speak with Koh, after their last conversation? He steeled himself as the Spirit's head drew nearer, wondering if he would see his mentor's bearded face between the mass of mandibles and feelers. But instead, the light fell on a white female _Noh_ mask, with grey-ringed blue eyes, shaved brows and blood-red lips. _That_ face, he'd seen many times before; it was what Koh preferred to wear when he wasn't 'entertaining guests'.

Xai Bau fought the impulse to curl the corner of his mouth into a small smile. They'd played this game several times, and he'd never succumbed to the faces... so now, Koh tried to bait him with Pathik's uncertain fate, then _again_ once the actual face was shown, hoping he'd react with relief. But Koh wasn't the only one who had learned from their previous games.

Koh's red-painted mouth split into a rueful grin. "I _will_ concede that Pathik knows how to separate _emotions_ from his actions- and that he passed that talent on to you." Two eyelid-like armored plates folded over the _Noh_ mask. When they peeled back again, it had been replaced by the face of a dark-skinned man, with a square jaw and flaring side-whiskers. "He left the cave no wiser on the subject of his so-called 'vision', but kept his face."

Xai Bau bowed his head in acknowledgement, but didn't inquire further. Now that he knew Pathik was safe, it was the Guru's vision that he needed to discuss.

The Face-Stealer heaved a sigh of irritation, drumming his clawed legs on one of the roots. "I remember you being more fun than _this_."

"Maybe when I was younger, when I had less control. You can see all my decisions right now, so _you_ already know whether or not you're going to get my face, in the end." Xai Bau shrugged. Of course, Koh had trouble sorting out their various meetings; perhaps he was thinking of one that hadn't happened yet. "This game seems pointless."

Koh's eyes narrowed angrily. The game of Faces was the only entertainment he had, and he hated anyone mocking it. "Perhaps I should test that statement on that brat of yours, when he returns to the Spirit World? I only saw _his_ face for a moment, but it's going to play host to _so_ many delicious emotions once he's grown a bit, you'd be surprised..."

Xai Bau shook his head firmly, wishing he hadn't tried to bait Koh. The Spirit would always answer in halves and riddles, no matter _who_ asked questions; better that Xai Bau was the only one at risk. "Pathik told me 'A child found, a child lost, between them, blood and order cost'. Is that happening, or going to happen... now?"

" _Now_?" Koh repeated scornfully. His eyelid-plates blinked again, replacing the man's face with that of a silver-furred bear. "What is 'now' to me? Here in the Spirit Realm, it is _everything_. In the Mortal Realm it can be a split second, a day within your lifetime, a year in one of your human 'centuries'. Don't bother me with such quibbles."

Xai Bau bowed his head, conceding. He should have known better than to ask a question related to time. He'd been tempted to ask about Aang's remaining lifespan; Koh had met the Avatar before, and therefore knew his exact fate. But after Koh's remark about altering or ending the Avatar Cycle, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer. "Will the 'order cost'...be in both the Spirit _and_ Mortal Realms?"

Koh's fanged mouth twitched into another smile, and his eyes lit up. He seldom got questions _about_ the Spirit World, since most of the beings who entered his cave were humans. "Yes...though it will affect one much more than the other. It will be dealt with by someone I've yet to meet... perhaps I never shall. The reincarnation period takes _so_ long for the next one to mature..."

"You mean, the next Avatar?" Xai Bau resisted the urge to frown. "You can see them before they're even in existence?"

"I can see... _Raava_." Koh's tone softened. "I have always watched her from the very beginning, when she helped defend both Realms against Vaatu. I never dared to approach her, of course- she was constantly battling to keep Vaatu in check, she couldn't be distracted from protecting us all, sharing her light with us. But I always... worshiped her." His form shimmered slightly; the centipede armor and legs faded away, replaced by green-and-purple scales, antlers and a flowing mane... almost like a _Kirin_. Was this what he had looked like, in the time before the Avatar?

"When that idiot Wan interfered with their battle, Vaatu escaped and used the conflicts between the Spirits and the humans to strengthen himself. Raava was was forced to work with Wan, helping him adapt the Four Elements, and eventually they fused and became the first Avatar in order to defeat Vaatu. After they won, Wan sealed the portals between the two Realms, and he stayed on the other side. Raava was still connected with him, so she stayed in the Mortal Realm as well; I remained here, cut off from the one Spirit I ever loved. And so I became _this_." Koh's _kirin_ form shimmered again, turning back into the shape of a centipede. "But there was an unexpected gift that came with my new appearance: the ability to see time for what it was, just by looking into another's eyes. But to _interpret_ that time, and those beings' lives, was too difficult for me. And so I began to collect faces, to try to make _some_ sense of what I had been given."

"And so, you became the Face-Stealer." Xai Bau nodded to himself. He already knew the origin of the Avatar, but he had never known Koh's connection with Raava, let alone heard the Spirit speak so directly before. He found himself leaning forward, fascinated- then he realized his eyes were narrowing in concentration and hastily made his face blank. Luckily, Koh had turned the other way for a moment, lost in his musings.

"When Wan finally died, I was able to sense Raava's energy, briefly, as she transferred herself to a newborn child who would become the _next_ Avatar. I've come to recognize her presence whenever she passes from one Avatar to their successor, or when the Avatar crosses into the Spirit Realm." Koh's tone hardened with anger. "Wan and Raava claimed they would be the bridge between the worlds. But as long as the portals between the Spirit and Mortal Realms are sealed, the Avatar isn't a bridge; they're a _lock_ on a door, a lock that's wearing thin as Harmonic Convergence approaches. With the coming incarnation... that lock will _break,_ but Raava still won't be free."

The hairs on the back of Xai Bau's neck stood up again. If Raava was destroyed...maybe he had been wrong. Perhaps Hou-Ting wasn't the lost child, after all, even if she _did_ wear golden robes. The lost child could be the next Avatar, perhaps the _last_ Avatar. But what did that mean for Zaheer?

"The boy who came with me... will he help that break happen, or fight against it?"

Koh's head snaked back around, this time in the shape of a young woman with dark hair and green eyes. Xai Bau dropped his gaze. He'd seen that face before; it looked remarkably like his former apprentice Kaho, which was precisely why Koh enjoyed tormenting him with it.

"In a way he will, in a way, he won't." Koh's tone was back to its' usual, smug purr again. "For one so in tune with the Spirit Realm, that child is far too concerned with _mortal_ affairs. But he'll influence others who _will_ break the lock... and he'll break other locks, of his own."

"I suppose I'm one of the others he'll influence?" Xai Bau wouldn't be surprised if the answer was yes. Zaheer's determination, for one so young, had already captivated him on several occasions.

Koh waggled his head from side to side, mandibles and antennae rustling. "You'll no longer walk the Mortal Realm when that happens. But rest assured, when it does...You'll have my gratitude for what you've done. Even if it costs you your vow never to kill."

The old man shook his head. "There are many things that need to change, perhaps some through force. But _a_ _ll_ life is sacred; I've kept my vow for more than fifteen years."

"Perhaps you should remind yourself of that, when you come face-to-face with your apprentice's killers."

Xai Bau felt a brief chill. Ever since he'd begun the hunt for Princess Hou-Ting's abductors, the emotions he'd buried after Kaho's death had re-surfaced. Especially after he'd found an unexpected lead about the Dai Li, in the Hu Xin province. "The Dai Li weren't part of my question."

"No... but they'll contribute to what you and Zaheer will create, when you finally understand the _answer_." The Spirit's borrowed face took an expression that almost looked like pity. "As I said, when that happens, you'll have my gratitude."

"And _you'll_ have my face, no doubt." Xai Bau rose from the floor and slid the baton back into his belt.

Koh chuckled. "I play the game for its' own sake, my friend. There's as much satisfaction for me in a narrow defeat, as in a hard-won victory...even if I _know_ the outcome, it's still fun to play the role." He twisted his body sideways and coiled around the taproot, scuttling upwards into the darkness. "Until we meet again."

Xai Bau shook his head as he walked back out into the sunlight. It seemed he wouldn't live to see Pathik's prophecy come true. All he could do was make sure both Aang and Zaheer were ready, for the next Avatar's succession.

He certainly didn't trust Koh. The Face-Stealer might well be influencing events to follow his own ends; Xai Bau wasn't sure how much influence the Spirits had on fate _or_ free will. But, the fact that Koh had once been in love with Raava hinted that he might want _her_ order to be preserved... in one form, or another.

* * *

When he returned to the Mortal world, Xai Bau waited in his hotel until nightfall; he had one more person to see, before he left Republic City. As the sun set, he stepped out onto the icy streets of Dragon Flats Borough. Most of the housing for six blocks around had recently been leveled by Earthbending construction crews. They were making way for a new factory that would produce boilers, both for heating homes and powering steam engines on various vehicles. Just east of the construction zone was a three-block complex of buildings, interconnected by a central courtyard and topped by an ornate red-and-gold pagoda. This was the unofficial headquarters of the Triple Threat Triad, which had spent the last ten years conquering the borough from other gangs, block by block.

A pair of soldiers accosted Xai Bau as he came up the steps to the front door. Their eyes ran across his threadbare White Lotus robes, the baton thrust through his belt. Xai Bau returned the stares, noting several half-healed bruises and cuts on their faces. For once, it seemed one of the Triple Threat's victims had fought back.

"I think you must be lost, old man." The one on the left finally spoke. His nut-brown complexion and blue eyes suggested Water Tribe ancestry, as did the sea-raven tattoo on his cheek. "This place is a bit...expensive for the likes of you-"

"I need to speak to Angakkuk." Everyone in the United Republic knew Angakkuk was head of the Triple Threats, even though the police still hadn't found concrete evidence. A recent assault conviction had weakened him, but his sentence had been shortened in exchange for a plea-deal and information on competing Triads. Now he was back on the streets, scrambling to re-secure his position against police, rival gangs, and his own ambitious subordinates. "He's got something of interest to me-"

"Never heard of him." The shorter Triad cut him off, taking a threatening step forward. His features looked southern Earth Kingdom, but his accent was from Yu Dao, Xai Bau's hometown. Perhaps he'd immigrated to the Untied Republic in his youth, or been born to a multi-ethnic family. One brawny forearm was marked with a panther tattoo, and the blackened left eye was accentuated by a scar running from his lower lip. "And nobody's gonna hear anything further of _you,_ outsider, if you don't clear off."

"I'm no outsider." Xai Bau instinctively switched to the dialect of his childhood. "I've got a message for Angakkuk, one he'll wanna hear. You want to check me for weapons, get on with it." He laid his flail on the steps, dropped his wide-brimmed reed hat next to it and raised his arms with an exaggerated sigh.

The thugs looked at one another, then the taller one shrugged and bent a tendril of water from his belt-pouch. He frisked the collar of Xai Bau's robe expertly, then moved down each of the flowing sleeves. The water switched from liquid to ice as it poked, prodded and squeezed around various points on his torso; the other Triad smirked slightly as the probe passed near the old man's groin. Xai Bau didn't flinch.

After filtering his water through the hollow sections of Xai Bau's baton, the Waterbender pocketed it and nodded to his friend. "He's clean. I'll take him to the tea-parlour, you go tell Yakone." He turned back to Xai Bau, an oily smile on his face. "If you just step this way, the boss'll be down as soon as he's available, sir. My name's Sila; this is Kaeng."

They passed through a brightly-painted foyer, out another door and into the courtyard. A winding path led them through a beautifully-kept garden, decorated with stone lanterns. Although from the Northern Water Tribe, Angakkuk had adopted cultural styles from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom as well- no doubt to make his Triad more appealing to benders from all three nationalities.

Various buildings branched off the courtyard on all sides, including a Pai Sho gambling parlor and several restaurants. Except for a well-disguised brothel, all were legitimate businesses; Angakkuk kept his headquarters away from the Triad's criminal activities. All the buildings were brightly lit, with steam rising from their boilers and chimneys. The chatter of many voices drifted from their doorways and windows; business was picking up, with the New Years' celebrations approaching. Xai Bau followed Sila up a flight of stairs and into a small, ornately decorated tea-parlor, where he was ushered to a table. Kaeng trooped up the stairs leading to the pagoda tower, where Angakkuk ran his stronghold.

Sila folded his arms and leaned against the doorpost, whistling faintly. The server brought Xai Bau a cup of ginseng tea, then retreated into the kitchen. The old man sniffed the cup warily, took a sip, then set it back down and steepled his fingers together. If the Order found out he was trading information with the Triads, they might expel him from the White Lotus. To Hell with them. What mattered now was stopping another war, and if he managed that, he would gladly accept his dismissal.

After about ten minutes, there was a commotion on the floor above, accompanied by a horrible gasping noise... then, boots on the steps. Sila glanced around, then jumped as Kaeng's twitching, writhing form came levitating down the staircase, strangled sounds coming from his throat. His foot kicked out as he floated past a shelf, catching a porcelain urn and shattering it. Behind Kaeng came a tall, thin figure, his face shadowed by a white fur cowl. Xai Bau tensed; this was certainly _not_ Angakkuk, though his clothes were a similar style. The fur hood draped loosely over a wide-sleeved blue jacket, with silver dragons coiling down each shoulder and a crescent moon on the throat clasp. His left hand, clad in a sealskin gauntlet, was clenched into a fist as he approached Xai Bau's table, his helpless victim hanging in the air before him.

Xai Bau flicked his gaze toward the face beneath the cowl, then let it fall just as quickly, his expression wooden. He'd never encountered Bloodbending before, but he knew exactly how ruthless these people were. Showing emotion here was just as lethal as when he'd faced Koh. At least this time, Zaheer's life wasn't on the line.

The Bloodbender spoke, his voice a grizzled drawl. "Kaeng here needed a reminder, of what happens when people inconvenience me, whether they mean to or not. We don't get many White Lotus in this neighborhood; they usually bring trouble with them. I hope that's not the case, now." Sila tried to edge out the door, but the Bloodbender crooked two fingers in his direction. His body jerked off the floor as well, thrashing in silent agony.

"The White Lotus doesn't speak for me, and I don't make trouble." Xai Bau took another sip of his tea. "I met Angakkuk years ago in Yu Dao, before I joined the Order... but you're not him. Is he out of town?"

"You could say that. He went into an...early retirement." A smug grin crept over the mobster's lips as he stopped in front of the table. "Anyone asks, you didn't hear it from Yakone."

Xai Bau inclined his head, suppressing a curse. The Triads were always plotting to overthrow each other; the constant in-fighting was about the only reason the Republic City Police were able to keep up with them. It was a pity that the latest coup had happened so recently; Angakkuk had been willing to talk with the White Lotus occasionally, but this newcomer was an unknown. "So, should I ask who's inherited this... fine establishment?" He thought he knew the answer.

"That would be me." Yakone sat down across from him and waved his right hand at the server. "Two measures of baijou, neat." His left hand descended onto the table; instantly, Kaeng and Sila dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. "You've learned your lesson, boys?" Both thugs rolled over into a crouch, pressing their foreheads to the carpet in submission. "Then get out. I don't need either of you for this."

The two soldiers hastily retreated from the room, and Yakone turned back toward Xai Bau, keeping his face behind the hood. "You... have something for me, apparently?"

"Information. On the conflict between Ba Sing Se, the Fire Nation Capital and Omashu-"

Yakone waved his hand dismissively. "There's nothing you could give me on that matter that I don't know already. Unless you've got a tip on one of the next pro-bending matches, you should leave." His fingers drummed threateningly on the tabletop. "The Triple Threat already has ears in all the major cities-"

"Precisely why I wanted to speak with you." Xai Bau stole another glance at the man's profile. The upper half of the face was hidden under the edge of the cowl, but he could see a narrow, wolfish mouth, framed by dark brown sideburns along a bony jaw. "I think some of your information coming from the Fire Nation might be a bit... antiquated. Provided you have what _I'm_ looking for, I could iron out some of those details for you. The White Lotus includes several senior ex-members the Fire Nation government... _and_ the military."

The waiter set the baijou on the table. Instead of lifting the cup to his mouth, Yakone Waterbent it directly down his throat. _I've never met him, and yet he still doesn't want me to see his face. Is he just trying to build a reputation of fear and mystery, or has someone already seen something he doesn't want them to_?

The Triad leader gave a grunt of satisfaction as he swallowed the second measure of liquor. "We don't have anything as good as baijou, back at the North Pole; nothing worth distilling there, not even seaweed. Add a miserably cold climate, and it's no wonder so many of us came down here, looking for something better." He snapped his fingers in the waiter's direction. "Another one."

Xai Bau controlled his impatience. He'd already had to play mind games with an ancient spirit today; he could put up with an arrogant Bloodbender toying with him for a bit. He tapped a _Go_ board sitting on the edge of the table. "Do you play?"

"Since I first moved here, back when this neighborhood was still called Cranefish Town." The lipless mouth curved into an enthusiastic smile. "You can go first." A small coil of water snaked up over the edge of the table and centered the board, then swept the bowl of black stones across to Xai Bau. "What is it _you're_ looking for?"

Xai Bau placed a black stone near the corner of the board. "Any information on where Princess Hou-Ting of the Earth Kingdom may have disappeared to."

Yakone set a white stone adjacent to the black one. "Well, the Earth King and most of the papers seems to think she's being held in the Fire Nation. Maybe you should try there."

Xai Bau shook his head, adding another stone. Several Lotus members- including Master Piandao- were already busy investigating that possibility. "Obvious, but unlikely. I'll admit the Fire Lord has a _motive_ for war, against _Omashu_ -"

"So the _Fire Lord_ says. King Ariq denies it, claims it's just an excuse for his blatant aggression."

"I already met with Zuko's mother and stepfather, who were victims of the attack on Hira'a-"

"Oh, _that's_ convenient. The Fire Lord's _parents_ were the witnesses." Yakone wasn't trying to make a point, he was just probing to see how serious Xai Bau was.

"Yes, it _is_ convenient... but it also brings up another point: the Royal Families from both the Earth Kingdom _and_ the Fire Nation are being targeted. _Regardless_ of that fact, Zuko's confined his actions to Omashu; he hasn't made a move on Ba Sing Se. It's out of character for him to take a hostage, and even if he did, hiding or denying a hostage reduces the advantage of using them for ransom. Most of the White Lotus think one of Kuei's rebellious vassals is behind the abduction, so they're following leads all over the Earth Kingdom. _I_ figured, if someone wanted to find a safe, _secret_ haven after a kidnapping... what better place than the world's largest crime syndicate?"

Yakone let out a harsh bark of laughter. "What better place, indeed?" He completed an encirclement and removed two of Xai Bau's stones from the board. "Wish I could help you, but she's not here."

"Well, if you _did_ have her, you wouldn't tell us. Not unless it gained you something." Xai Bau had his fingers pressed to the underside of the table; he could feel the vibrations of Yakone's pulse through the man's arm, resting on the tabletop. The mobster was telling the truth: the Triple Threat didn't have Hou-Ting. He'd only been half-expecting them to, anyway.

Yakone chuckled again. "You aren't wrong about _that_." He set another white stone on the board and downed a third measure of baijou. "Got any other theories about where she might be?"

Xai Bau turned his copper eyes back to the board for a moment. He noticed Yakone was about to encircle three more of his black stones, so he linked the next one with them, temporarily stalling the maneuver. It was time to test his theory, after everyone in the Order had been scoffing at him for years. " _I_ think... she was taken by the Dai Li."

Yakone froze for a moment, before setting a white stone on the edge of Xai Bau's stone. "...They haven't been heard from since Sozin's Comet. Vanished without a trace."

"Oh, they left a trace for _me_." Xai Bau felt claws of anger grip his heart as he remembered Kaho. " And more recently, I found something else. On my way here, I stopped in the town of Puyo, the capital of the Hu Xin province; my comrade and I were sent to interview General Fong. While I was in his court...I noticed a young woman wearing an Earth Kingdom scarf, with a blank, dead look in her eyes. When I asked about her, Fong dismissed her as a new servant, and sent her out of the room. I didn't see her for the rest of our stay in Puyo." He set another stone on the board. "I don't suppose you've heard the name 'Joo Dee' before? It has to do with the Fall of Ba Sing Se, during the war."

"Search me." Yakone shrugged. "I'd never left the Northern Water Tribe before I was fifteen; by then, the war was long finished."

He was telling the truth, but all the same, his nonchalance was unconvincing. Xai Bau went on. "There's a massive lake in the Agrarian Ring of Ba Sing Se, known as Lake Laogai. Aptly named, since the Dai Li used to have a prison facility underneath it. They would... 're-educate' citizens who upset their order, discussed the war, caused any kind of trouble. The victims would forget the war altogether, sometimes be given new identities; meanwhile, their disappearance scared others into line. The best tool that the brainwashing produced was a sleeper agent named Joo Dee, who would spy on the people and act as the Dai Li's mouthpiece. Joo Dee was so effective that they gave her identity to _multiple_ young women; no matter what the women looked like, they were always recognizable by their Earth Kingdom scarf and over-dilated eyes. Joo Dee was left in place by Azula during the Fire Nation's occupation of Ba Sing Se, because they were already useful for keeping the people obedient. When my Order liberated the city during Sozin's Comet, we accounted for all of them except one. Like the Dai Li, she vanished without a trace."

Yakone drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "If this 'Joo Dee' was still alive, she wouldn't be _young_ anymore."

"Nor would I expect it to be the same one. As I said, the Dai Li would select multiple women to assume the same identity. If they're still operating in exile, they may well have found a way to continue practicing their 'reeducation' techniques. Some of them might be here, in the United Republic-"

"That would take quite a while to narrow down." Yakone snorted. "Half the United Republic's population are of Earth Kingdom descent, so Earth Kingdom scarves are pretty damn popular here- which you oughta know, if you're really from Yu Dao. As for young people with blank looks and dilated eyes, that's just about _anyone_ trying to get high off cactus sap. What's your point?"

Xai Bau felt his irritation flare, but he kept his fingers pressed to the bottom of the table. Yakone had dodged the question, but Xai Bau was inclined to believe him; if the Dai Li were still at large, they wouldn't choose to hide in the city where the Avatar lived. "No one's heard from the Dai Li for two decades. Now, within a few weeks, Kuei and Zuko are at each other's throats over incidents involving their families, Princess Hou-Ting has disappeared without a trace, and Joo Dee has been spotted in the palace of General Fong- a man who, in wartime, was willing to go to great extremes to fight the Fire Nation." He put another black stone on the board, encircling four of Yakone's white ones and removing them. "If the Triple Threat really does have informants everywhere, I think you might have already known Joo Dee was in Puyo, and where she's getting her orders from. If this crisis causes a war, it will be to your benefit: refugees will flee to the neutral United Republic, giving your Triad potential recruits. More importantly, the demand for machinery and munitions on both sides will go up. And many of Republic City's heavy manufacturing industries are owned by the Triads." He didn't mention that police officers had already intercepted at least _one_ smuggled shipment; bringing down the Triple Threat Triad wasn't his main goal.

Yakone glanced at the board and chuckled ruefully. "I should've kept a better eye on that one." He twirled a white stone between his long fingers. "I got a question for you, old man. _If_ the Dai Li are still at large... _if_ they're luring the Earth Kingdom into war... _if_ the Triads are in a position to profit from said war... what the Hell could you possibly give me, that would be worth stopping that from happening? Which, I assume, _is_ why you're here." He set the stone down on the table with a sharp _clack_. "I'd _hate_ to think you're wasting my time."

Xai Bau swallowed the rest of his tea and set the cup back on the table. "War... isn't going to happen. Zuko's short-tempered, but he won't attack the Earth Kingdom unless there's absolutely no chance of peaceful diplomacy." He didn't know the Fire Lord personally, but Master Piandao had been Zuko's sword instructor, and often spoke about his character. "On the other side, the Council of Five might have pressed Kuei into action for now, but to declare an offensive war against the Fire Nation he'd have to gain assent from _all_ his vassals- and that's very unlikely to happen, unless he can dominate them by force of arms. Which, given the sheer _size_ of the Earth Kingdom, is nearly impossible."

"Suppose Zuko's overthrown, along with the rest of his family?"

Xai Bau glanced up, sharply. So, there was a coup planned against Zuko as well? Yakone wasn't confirming or denying it- _or_ involvement in any Dai Li conspiracy- but his mentioning the possibility, indicated that he knew more than he was giving away. However, if Xai Bau probed too directly, Yakone might feel threatened enough to end him, here and now.

"Well... then, I suppose you'd have to take your chances with new leadership in the Fire Naion." The old man shrugged, glancing at the board. The white and black stones formed an almost unbroken line to the edge. If he tried to corner it off from the wrong direction, Yakone would envelop most of his pieces and make a decisive territorial gain. "And any leadership that overthrows _Zuko_ would take a much more nationalist tone. Might even resurrect the Fire Nation's old claim to 'the colonies', and try to conquer the United Republic. If that happens, and they _do_ overrun Republic City, how do you think they'd deal with Triads run by _non_ -Fire Nationals? They wouldn't read you your rights and give you a fair trial; they'd burn everything you cared about to the _ground_ _._ "

Yakone's jaw tightened under the hood. "A problem for another day-"

"A day that's getting closer and closer, the more the tensions rise. Alternately, if Zuko _remains_ in power, the conflict will be controlled. It'll probably become a stalemate that will be resolved as soon as the Avatar and his friends get involved. And _when_ they find a connection, they will come for you."

Yakone belched contemptuously. "The Avatar's just a human being. For someone like me, humans are nothing but puppets."

"I don't think you'd say that, if you ever saw Aang at his _full_ power." Xai Bau planted his palms on the table, staring at his opponent. "I witnessed him in the Avatar State years ago, at the Battle of Yu Dao. He was just thirteen, and he forced two _armies_ apart with his bending- stopped the battle, single-handedly. Your Bloodbending's a nasty little trick, but let's see you try it on someone with the power of countless previous Avatars surging through their veins. Aang's a pretty forgiving person, but from what I read in the papers, your soldiers attacked his wife and his close friend recently. Whether you hide behind the law _or_ challenge him directly, I'm guessing his sense of _mercy_ will have expired."

Yakone paused for a long moment, pretending to consider the game. He seemed distracted, despite holding the stronger position on the board; his next stone gave him no advantage. Finally, he spoke. "The information you offered...I'm guessing it has to do with the Fire Nation invading the United Republic?"

Xai Bau nodded. "A contingency plan was developed by some of the Generals, about thirteen years ago; Zuko forbade enacting it or discussing it further, but copies were kept in the unlikely event of war between the Fire Nation and the United Republic. Given the current conflict, I managed to persuade some of the White Lotus' Fire Nation members to send me one." He hadn't brought the plan with him, of course; the Triads could simply take it and not uphold their end of the exchange. "Provided you have the information _I'm_ looking for, one of your soldiers can follow me back to my hotel, and I'll hand it off to them."

Yakone chuckled darkly. "You're pretty sharp for an old man." He placed a final stone on the board, encircling Xai Bau's position. "Looks like I win. Guess I owe you _something_." He laced his long fingers together. "I've been going through Angakkuk's ledgers since he... retired, including some notes on his travels. There's a river that runs down from the Dragon's Back Mountains, near the border between the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Air Temple Lands. Near where the river empties into the sea, there's a small fishing village. During and after the war, Angakkuk used to smuggle goods to the North Pole out of that village. About five years ago, he went back on a visit and found it empty. No bodies, no graves, no sign of disaster. Apparently, everyone just... _vanished,_ without a trace. But when he visited the next town upriver, he saw someone who hadn't been there the last time: a middle-aged woman, wearing an Earth Kingdom scarf."

Xai Bau's pulse quickened. If Angakkuk had seen Joo Dee, the Dai Li had to be nearby. "The name of this abandoned village?"

Yakone's wolfish mouth curved into a smirk. "I'll have Kaeng whisper it in exchange for that invasion plan you offered me, when you get back to your hotel."

"Fair enough." Xai Bau stood up. "You won't see me again."

"Oh?" Yakone did the same. "Pity, I enjoyed our game."

"The feeling _isn't_ mutual." Xai Bau replied curtly. Indeed, he'd been holding back his distaste the entire time. The Council of Five and the Triple Threat were nearly the same, in the way they oppressed the people beneath them. The only difference was that the Triads were hiding behind commercial wealth rather than martial law- which made them even more duplicitous and difficult to deal with. He was beginning to feel more sympathy for Aang, having to deal with these wolves in human skin. But the reckoning with them could come later, after war was prevented.

He bowed his head, trying one final time to see Yakone's eyes beneath the hood, but all he glimpsed was an aquiline nose- that looked as though it had been broken, at least once. "Please pay Angakkuk my respects... if he's still able to receive them."

Yakone snorted. "That, you can take care of yourself- just visit the cemetery on the south side of Tengu Heights." He snapped his fingers and Kaeng hurried into the room, carrying Xai Bau's baton and reed hat. "Oh, and one more thing... let the Avatar know I'd be happy to meet and have a chat, when he gets back to Republic City. On one condition: we both come alone. No soldiers, no police."

Xai Bau paused, then nodded as he took the flail from Kaeng. "I'll pass it along." He set the hat back onto his shaved dome. "Happy New Year."

* * *

After returning to his hotel and making the exchange, Xai Bau settled into the corner of his room and resumed his meditations. When he re-emerged into the Spirit World, he found himself on the edge of a banyan-tree swamp. Glancing around, he noticed a familiar-looking staff lying next to a monkey statue, tucked between two of the largest trees.

"How'd your little chat with Yakone go?" A familiar voice called from overhead. "The roots of this forest link with the Mortal World, so if I'm touching them, I can track your energy across the plane. You and I only missed each other by about four days."

"Well, you might as well rat me out to the Order now." Xai Bau shrugged, glancing up. Aang was perched on a banyan branch, about thirty feet above him, dressed only in saffron-yellow trousers and boots; even though his bending vanished in the Spirit World, he was still extremely agile. "They can take my White Lotus tile after we've rounded up the culprits behind this conspiracy."

"They can't dismiss you for trying to preserve balance; it's what we're _supposed_ to defend, after all." Aang swung off the branch and dropped to the ground, landing lightly. "If Sungwoo demands your tile for talking to the Triads, I'll speak to him on your behalf."

"I... appreciate it." Xai Bau realized he'd almost been _hoping_ that the White Lotus would dismiss him. Was his faith in the Order really that shaken? Well, perhaps Aang could persuade them to take Zaheer in as an apprentice after he left. The Avatar had been much more receptive to his advice since he revealed Pathik's prophecy, even showing interest in his Dai Li theory. "I have news for you, from Dragon Flats. Yakone took you up on your offer to talk."

Aang's grey eyes narrowed. "It's a little late for that, after what he did to Toph-"

"I didn't say you had to take the offer." Xai Bau rolled his eyes irritably. "I'm just the messenger."

"You're right, sorry. What else did you learn?"

As Xai Bau explained what he'd learned about the Dai Li, he shook open a map, tapping a spot on the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom. "According to Yakone, they're right here, in a fishing village called Zamyn Togsgol- 'Road's End'. They may have a foothold in the Hu Xin province as well. When I was in General Fong's palace, I saw a woman who looked exactly like Joo Dee."

Aang shook his head grimly. "Fong was always a warmonger, but I can't believe he's hand-in-hand with the Dai Li."

"Whether Fong's collaborating with them or not, they probably have spies all over the Earth Kingdom. But Kuei isn't the only monarch who's being targeted. Yakone implied that someone's trying to overthrow Zuko, as well."

"At the same time as Hou-Ting, when they're already at each other's throats?" Aang looked troubled. "Can't be a coincidence."

"I agree. If the Dai Li are involved, they can't be the only ones. There's another party at work here, one we haven't seen yet."

" _Zuko_ I could convince to stand down, and take time to investigate this... _if_ he's getting any of our messages." Aang paced around the statue, tapping his staff on the ground. His voice shook with frustration, "I still can't... _believe_ Zuko even considered this plan to invade the United Republic, but I have to believe he'll listen if we meet face-to-face. The Earth Kingdom will be harder; Kuei trusts me, but the Council of Five don't. They've been influencing him ever since his daughters were born, stoking his paranoia. Ariq will only add to that, and if Kuei tries to back out of their military alliance, Ariq will claim to the other vassals that Kuei's unwilling to defend his subjects, make him look weak all over again-"

"The _White Lotus_ can handle Ariq and Kuei." Xai Bau replied impatiently. "You don't have to do _everything_ , Avatar. I'll meet up with Nakken in the Earth Kingdom and send out a call for the rest of the White Lotus to assemble. We'll find and dismantle the Dai Li's spy cells one by one until they've got nowhere left to hide except Zamyn Togsgol."

Aang looked troubled for a moment, but he finally nodded. "All right. Katara and I are already on our way to the Fire Nation. We'll collect Zuko, go to Zamyn Togsgol and root the rest of the Dai Li out."

"With all due respect, Avatar, we don't know how many of them there are. You should at least pick up some reinforcements in the Fire Nation."

"If we enter the Earth Kingdom unannounced, backed by Fire Army troops, Kuei will assume it's an invasion. Besides, I've got access to unlimited bending power, and my wife and best friend are both Masters of their elements. I think we can handle it."

"You're not concerned about Pathik's prediction about your death? Koh hinted that it was true, when I spoke to him."

Aang shook his head. "I'm not going to worry about it. Just don't tell Katara. She'll want to find a way around it, try to resurrect me again."

Xai Bau glanced at the blotchy scar in the center of Aang's back, where Azula's lightning bolt had struck. "Perhaps she could, if she had more access to water from the Spirit Oasis-"

"No." Aang turned around. "Life... isn't meant to be renewed, over and over. Once was enough, and that was only because I would have been the _last_ Avatar. I have control of the Avatar State now, and I won't use it unless I'm on the verge of death. But if I _do_ die... perhaps a shortened life is the price I pay. For abandoning the Air Nomads, for letting myself get trapped in ice for a century, while the Fire Nation massacred my people."

Xai Bau stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. "So be it. I'll contact Nakken; once we've located Joo Dee, we'll summon the rest of the White Lotus and join you." He thought the Avatar was being a bit dramatic about the possibility of his death, but it was a surprisingly enlightened response, given Aang's deep attachment to his family. And oddly, he trusted Aang to get the job done; like him, the Avatar had lost friends to the Dai Li during the war. He was still concerned that they didn't know enough about the strength of the Dai Li, but Aang wasn't a child anymore; reminding him of the danger wasn't going to change his mind.

Besides, after his conversation with Koh, Xai Bau had a nagging worry, at the back of his mind: that _he_ might be the one to cause Aang's death, deliberately or otherwise. But the Face-Stealer had only said he would ask about the ethics of ending the Avatar Cycle, not that he would act on it. He had known from the start that Koh would give him facts without a timeline... but for the sake of the world at large, he prayed that the White Lotus would take him seriously about the Dai Li. Too much was at stake.


	14. Chapter 12: Dragon's Back Mountains

The journey across the northern sea had passed without incident, although some of the storms were alarming; the Winter Solstice was only a day away, after all. Azula stood near the prow of the war balloon, her eyes on the dark horizon. Ty Lee huddled in a seat just behind the furnace, wrapped in her ibex-hide cloak, silently watching the coast drift by below.

She knew they were heading northeast, based on the sun's movement and the coastline; if they'd been heading southeast, she would have seen the port towns of the United Republic by now. They were speeding toward the northernmost regions of the main continent, home to the world's largest and harshest mountain range, the Dragon's Back. Except for the Si-Wong Desert, it was perhaps the most sparsely populated land in the Earth Kingdom.

Escape had never completely left Ty Lee's mind, but if she injured herself along the way, there was no chance of getting help. For now, she was still at Azula's mercy...

Not that Azula was gloating about it. She'd barely spoken to Ty Lee since they left the Air Nomad lands. Whenever they landed, she immediately went hunting, never coming back empty-handed despite the frequent snowfall. Each time, she wordlessly offered Ty Lee a share of her food and water, which was accepted with equal silence. Even after they'd left all signs of civilization behind them, Azula only traveled at night, ignoring the severe cold. She brought the balloon down during the early hours of each morning. They were going at a breakneck pace- Azula's enhanced blue flames gave the furnace far more heat than a standard Firebender could. All the same, she only kept them grounded for seven to eight hours at most, before moving on.

Despite her uncertainty, Ty Lee was sure she was getting more rest than Azula. At least she was able to nod off for periods, while they were in the air. The Princess paced endlessly around the edges of the gondola, scanning the sky and boosting the furnace with her Firebending. She always drank her unusual tea each day after eating, to guarantee herself a few hours of sleep. However, that sleep was still far from peaceful; she frequently woke Ty Lee with her thrashing and hyperventilating.

In spite of everything, each time this happened, Ty Lee lay next to Azula and held her until the fit passed. Azula hadn't asked her to do so, since back at the cave; her newfound silence was nearly as cold as when she was domineering and insulting. She was probably trying to squash any vestiges of her moment of vulnerability, pretend it hadn't happened. But Ty Lee hadn't forgotten. When she closed her eyes, she could still see the ripples of scar tissue on Azula's perfect shoulder blade. As raw and malevolent as Zuko's eye, just better hidden.

Azula suddenly glanced back and caught her eye, as if she knew what Ty Lee was thinking. The Kiyoshi Warrior felt her face burn, but she fought the instinct to look away, willing herself to meet Azula's imperious gaze. To her surprise, the Firebender's cheekbones turned slightly pink. She turned away quickly and jabbed her hand at the open door of the furnace, feeding the balloon another burst of flames. Ty Lee was bewildered. Was Azula _reciprocating_ her childhood feelings, after all this time? Though, even if she _did_ she would dismiss them as a distraction.

Azula stalked past Ty Lee and adjusted the tiller, her eyes sweeping the mountain range to their right. For the first time in days she spoke, curtly. "Don't look at me like that."

"Or what? You'll pitch me over the side?" Ty Lee was startled by how quickly the words came to her mouth- and how scornful they were. "You could have done that at any time since we started traveling, and there's no consequences for you. if anything, you'd reach Takeo faster."

"You're absolutely right. And yet, I'm _choosing_ not to." Azula's tone was cold, but not with her usual mocking contempt. "That is what you seem to value so desperately, isn't it, Ty? The opportunity to choose? I've been giving it to you every time we've landed. Even if you don't believe me, your wounds have healed enough that you could escape me, while I've drugged myself."

It was true, this possibility had been on Ty Lee's mind several times in the last few days. She _could_ make a sufficient head-start to get away from Azula- and given how urgently they were rushing back to Takeo, she doubted Azula would take the time to track down and re-capture her. But she wouldn't know which way to go, given the unfamiliar, harsh terrain and weather. Even if it cleared enough for her to navigate by the stars, she might not survive long enough to reach civilization.

"...I'm choosing survival."

"Is that _really_ what you're choosing, by remaining with me?" Azula rolled her eyes. " Sounds more like you're looking for the best way to stay alive _long_ enough to reveal my designs to Zuzu and Mai. Or, could it be that you just want to stay with poor, _broken_ Azula long enough to _fix_ her?" Her tone sharpened. "If you're concerned about me suffering a hallucinogenic breakdown as soon as you've left, don't bother. I've spent fifteen years learning how to manage _one_ distraction, and I don't aim to replace it with another one made of flesh and blood."

Ty Lee tried to ignore her, to dull her aura to an ice-blue shade... but Azula's words left her already-confused emotions simmering. Despite her words, despite what Suki had drilled into her on Kiyoshi Island, survival hadn't really been her top priority since sneaking into Omori. It would be ideal if she could somehow help Zuko, Mai _and_ Azula... but given Azula's alliance with Takeo, that seemed impossible. Hence, her long, fruitless hours of trying to find a solution.

"...You didn't leave me a _real_ choice on that matter." Ty Lee finally replied, bitterly. "Once again, you're trying to force me to choose between people I love-"

"Oh, but I didn't _force_ you at all _._ You could have stayed in the cave, and set off your little Kiyoshi flare _after_ I left."

Ty Lee froze. If Azula had seen her attempt to signal the Air Fleet, back at Omori-

"I could have incinerated you in seconds, along with that piece of magnesium." Azula's voice was quiet, neither malevolent nor coaxing... her most dangerous tone. "But again, I _chose_ not to. Because even if you'd survived long enough to warn the Air Fleet, it would have been too late to affect the battle of Omori, and you know it."

Ty Lee flinched as Azula's hand suddenly descended on her shoulder. To her surprise, the Princess's touch was gentle; the heat from her fingertips was soothing, not burning. "I said before that I would never kill you, and I meant it. But if you're caught up on the wrong side when Takeo and I strike, I can't _save_ you, either. You've never been in a position to prevent our victory, it's been too long in the making. But if you _choose_ to join us, your loyalty must be absolute. Takeo won't defy me, but Long Feng can't be trusted, and he'll remember how you helped me bring him down."

Ty Lee kept her eyes on the sea, but she could feel her aura flaring from purple to angry red, as it had after Jeonsa's death. That Azula was willing to _touch_ her like that, after all the indifference, rage and insults, that she was _still_ squashing her feelings toward her family and Ty Lee, and yet _still_ she remained totally in control of the situation...

"It doesn't matter to _me_ whether you leave, try to stop us or join us, you understand." Azula shrugged, running her nails lightly along Ty Lee's arm before moving to the other side of the gondola. "I can read your every move, I always have."

Ty Lee stood up suddenly, ignoring the icy mountain air as her cloak fell from her shoulders. If words and planning weren't going to get through to Azula, maybe actions would.

"Azula, I challenge you to an _Agni Kai_."

The Princess didn't turn around. "You're not a Firebender."

"And yet, I'm challenging you to an _Agni Kai_." Ty Lee felt a pulse of hot anger in her chest, yet her breathing was still calm and measured; there were no tremors in her arms or legs. It was as if her body had been waiting for her to challenge Azula, despite her mind screaming that this was suicidal to even _consider_.

After a prolonged pause, Azula shrugged. "As you wish. Let me bring us down to the ground, and we'll get this over with." She jerked the tiller, and the balloon swerved toward the mountains on their right, nearly knocking Ty Lee off her feet. Azula reached up and tugged the balloon's rip-cord, opening a vent at the top of the balloon to release hot air. "I suppose you have... _conditions_ for the victor?"

"I win, and you come back to the Fire Nation with me. You stop your plan against Zuko before it goes any further-"

"It's far too late for that, dear." Azula cracked her knuckles. "I gave orders for the capture of Zuzu's daughter, the day we left the cave. By now, the Dai Li and Takeo's troops probably have her in their custody."

Ty Lee felt her heart turn to ice; all her composure disappeared instantly. Zuko had spent the last twenty years building a more peaceful world, both with the other Nations and among his own people. The Fire Nation had seen victory snatched from them at the last second, leaving both the military and the civilians full of unrest and resentment. Yet Zuko had successfully persevered with his agenda of reform and diplomacy, despite skeptics among both his allies and his enemies. Mai hadn't been as interested in politics when she married Zuko, but her natural talent for administration eventually drew her into them. Both would rather die than see their hard work undone, or give up their position of power.

Which, of course, was why Azula and Takeo had targeted Izumi: the one thing Zuko and Mai valued more than the Fire Nation _or_ each other. Ty Lee had been more concerned about _Ursa_ being the target, given what she'd overheard in Omori about an attack on Hira'a. Azula's hateful comments about her mother had reinforced that concern. Now, she realized the entire Hira'a incident had been a distraction, to turn Zuko and Mai's eyes away from the real target.

Izumi was well-protected, of course, and the Capital's defenses had been upgraded since the Day of Black Sun. But Takeo had captured and defended many fortresses, in his long military career. And Azula was the one who had taken Ba Sing Se without a shot fired. Add in the Dai Li, a secret police force for whom stealth was second nature, and infiltrating the Capital seemed frighteningly possible.

Ty Lee found her voice, at last. "Do they... already have her?"

"When Natsu returns, she should have news of the girl's capture." Azula brushed her hair out of her face as a gust of wind shook the gondola. "She won't be harmed, if that's what you're worried about; we need her as leverage against my brother."

"And once you've dealt with Zuko, you'll kill her anyway?"

"Certainly not. Provided she's... _raised_ the right way, without her father's weakness, she would make a perfect heir."

* * *

Ty Lee was suddenly transported back, ten years ago. Mai was resting on the bed next to her, her dark hair slick with sweat, two attendants cleaning blood from her legs and propping her up with pillows. Only moments before, she'd had Ty Lee's hand clenched in a death-grip. Zuko sat at the other side of Mai's bed, Iroh standing at his shoulder. Their eyes were fixed on the doctor who was brusquely patting the newborn's back. For a moment, there was a terrible silence, except for Mai's ragged breathing; she had a narrow frame, and the birth had been hard on her. Ty Lee flashed her friend an encouraging smile, but she could feel Mai's aura flickering from purple to grey, and her own throat was tight. Mai had suffered a miscarriage, two years before; would this child survive?

Then, out of nowhere, a piercing, indignant squall. Ty Lee gasped, realizing she'd been holding her breath. Zuko slumped back in his chair, cradling Mai's hand to his chest, tears in his mismatched eyes. Iroh beamed, clapping his nephew gently on the shoulder. The doctor handed the infant to another attendant for cleaning, then turned to the Royal couple and bowed. "My Lord, my Lady, congratulations. The Fire Nation has an heir."

Ty Lee thought her wording was rather cold, and Zuko clearly agreed; his eyes, already shadowed with anxiety, narrowed as he stood up. "She's _much_ more than heir to the Fire Nation, Doctor."

The doctor stepped back, uneasily. Iroh hastily moved in front of his nephew. "Dr. Haruyama is only observing the royal protocol, Zuko. I was told the same when Lu Ten was born-"

"Then maybe it's time we changed the protocol." Zuko replied curtly. "I've just seen my daughter born, I don't need to be told trivial facts that everyone knows-"

"She's not wrong, Zuko." Mai's voice, faint and reedy from exhaustion, interrupted him. "She's ours for now, but when she's grown... she'll belong to the Fire Nation. So we should spend what time we have with her, now." She stretched out her left hand. "Bring her... to me. Then call in our parents and siblings."

"My Lady, you shouldn't exert yourself-"

"Do as she says." Ty Lee cut her off, surprised by her own sharpness. She stepped forward and took the newborn carefully as the attendants finished wrapping her. The infant's lips moved soundlessly; one tiny hand, protruding from the blanket, grasped at nothing. Then her eyelids flickered open briefly, and Ty Lee glimpsed a shade of gold identical to Zuko's. She felt tears welling in her own eyes as she laid the child in Mai's arms, and silently thanked the Spirits she _wasn't_ wearing her Kiyoshi face-paint; it would have run everywhere. Zuko leaned close as Mai put the baby to her breast, wrapping his arms loosely around them both.

" _Izumi_." Mai murmured as she kissed her daughter's head; her voice, usually calm or even flat, was trembling. "That's... her name. Izumi." Her narrow grey eyes, almost closed with exhaustion, flicked to Ty Lee. "She's... our future, Ty. A future... without war. Without the cruelty _we_ were taught. Please... help us keep that future safe."

* * *

Mai's words repeated through Ty Lee's mind as the balloon began to descend among the mountain peaks. Azula's revelation had thrown her off at first, but now her resolve hardened again; her aura flared an orange-bronze. There was no way she would let Izumi suffer a fate like her father... _or_ her aunt.

She finally found her voice again. "If I win the duel... assuming Izumi's already been kidnapped, you help me get her back. Compared to taking Ba Sing Se, that should be an easy one for you. After that, you can go where you please... assuming Zuko doesn't pardon you."

"Fine." Azula replied dryly. "On the _generous_ assumption that you, a Nonbender, defeat _me_ in an _Agni Kai_... I'll give you that one." She extended two fingers towards the furnace's open door, drawing all the remaining heat out. The balloon's propeller chuffed to a halt, and their descent quickened. "What, in turn, will you give me... _when_ I win?"

"I'll serve you. The way I did during the hunt for the Avatar, the way I've served Zuko and Mai since the end of the war." She was relieved that her voice stayed steady, despite the lie. Even though neither of them trusted each other, Azula _had_ given her a choice this time, and she would use that to her advantage.

"Not much of an offer." Azula leaned over the gondola's rail as it scraped the top of a pine. "Would you... travel with me, after this is done?"

" _Travel_ with you?" Ty Lee turned around, bewildered.

"Travel the world. Let me show you what I've learned, in my years of exile. Let me pass it on to you." Azula didn't turn, but her voice was suddenly softer. Was she being... sentimental? Though, if that was all she would demand of Ty Lee, it was worth staying close to her... if only so she could keep an eye on Izumi, try to keep her safe.

"...I accept your terms."

Azula nodded and turned the tiller. The balloon shifted direction towards a clearing in the trees, broken only by a mountain stream. "Traditionally, the challenger makes the first move."

As the balloon drifted to the ground, a streak of grey light brightened the jagged, mountainous horizon; dawn was on its' way. Ty Lee cracked her neck and entwined her arms behind her back, rotating her joints to make sure she had full flexibility back. Shifting her sheathed sword and fan from her belt to her shoulder-bandolier, she undid the straps of her armor and let it fall away, piece by piece; she was lighter and faster without it. As the gondola bumped across the stones of the riverbank, she hopped over the rail. Azula pulled the deflating envelope clear of the furnace and propeller, then followed her. The Kiyoshi warrior stopped where the water met the treeline, keeping the brightening daylight at her back. If the sun emerged from behind the clouds, she might try to disorient her opponent.

She turned and pressed her fist to her palm, bowing slightly. Azula returned the gesture, then bent her knees and drew her left foot back, her hands loose at her sides. Her expression had become oddly blank; none of the tension from the cave was visible. Given her mantra of "survival or death", it wasn't surprising that the prospect of a _fight_ calmed her.

Ty Lee knew her best chance to match Azula in a fair fight, was now. Her wounds were healed, while Azula was sleep-deprived, and with the Winter Solstice tomorrow, her Firebending was at its' low ebb. Unfortunately, those were Ty Lee's only advantages. And even if she somehow won, there was very little chance Azula would actually keep her word...

Dashing her doubts from her mind, Ty Lee drew her _tessen_ fan, flicked it open and hurled it at Azula like a _shuriken_. The Princess lazily kicked it aside, but in the half-second that her vision was blocked, Ty Lee darted forward, her feet barely touching the ground. Her extended fingers shot towards Azula's shoulder, ready to disable her _chi_ -path and paralyze her arm in a single strike.

But Azula's hand caught her wrist with a chopping blow, redirecting the strike wide and almost knocking her off-balance. Ty Lee spun, feint-kicked with her right foot, landed on it, kicked again with the left, then ducked low and jabbed her fist at Azula's solar plexus. Azula ignored the feint, leaned out of range of the actual kick and intercepted the punch with her left hand. She gave a powerful shove, and Ty Lee was thrown backward, landing on her rear in a cascade of smooth river stones.

She'd never forgotten how superb a fighter Azula was. At the back of her mind, she'd known she had almost no chance of beating the Princess. But Ty Lee had at _least_ expected it to be more of a contest, after her years of training on Kiyoshi Island. She sucked in a deep breath, let it out as a shrill battle cry and sprang up, darting forward in a zigzag pattern, evading any missiles that might come her way. But no blue flames roared past. Azula wasn't even resorting to her Firebending, and yet she was _toying_ with her.

Well, if she really wasn't using her best weapon, Ty Lee would take advantage of that. She hopped sideways, bent her knees and catapulted herself off a fallen log, flying toward her opponent, her booted feet extended in a double-kick. Azula easily moved out of range, but Ty Lee landed almost directly in front of her and kept advancing, continuing to throw _chi-_ blocking jabs in every direction. In reality, she was only using half the force necessary, conserving her reserves of energy. She was waiting for a counterattack; all she had to do was intercept one of Azula's limbs, or get within range of her neck.

But Azula still wouldn't take the bait. She kept moving silently back, giving ground but controlling the fight, her golden eyes cold but calm. Her lack of sleep didn't seem to be troubling her at all. Ty Lee had expected the Firebender to taunt her mercilessly, as she'd taunted Zuko during their endless childhood fights. But now, the Princess's silence was even more maddening than her insults. Ty Lee could feel her reserves of angry resolve depleting, as Azula continued to dodge or deflect all her mock-attacks. Her window of opportunity, barely open to begin with, was closing.

Then, Ty Lee felt a faint warmth on the right side of her body. A section of the clouds had swirled back, briefly bathing the riverbank in sunlight. Immediately, she jumped back and rolled to the right, drawing her _katana_ as she sprang up. As Azula turned to face her, Ty Lee angled the sword, reflecting the sunlight off the blade directly at her face. The Firebender threw her hand up, shielding her eyes. Rushing at Azula's vulnerable left side, Ty Lee raised her sword in a two-handed grip. The golden eyes stared back at her, wide with alarm.

At the last second Ty Lee reversed her _katana_ in mid-air, swinging the pommel instead of the curved blade. As her arm came down, Azula's expression suddenly changed; she threw herself sideways and sprang up as Ty Lee rushed past her. Her hand chopped down on the back of Ty Lee's neck, sending a jolt of pain through her head and upper torso as her teeth clacked together. The Kiyoshi Warrior dropped on the riverbank; the _katana_ slipped from her hand, rattling on the icy stones.

"What _was_ that idiocy?" Azula snapped, from behind her. "If your only chance is to kill your opponent, you _take_ it! Kiyoshi swords aren't made for half-measures; you cut your opponent down in one blow!"

Ty Lee wheezed in a ragged breath. The pain from Azula's blow blurred her vision, and her whole body- especially her face- was aching from the impact. She forced herself to slowly roll over, her jaw clenched in pain and fury. "You... haven't fought a Kiyoshi Warrior... since before Ba Sing Se-"

"You think I don't remember _every detail_ about that fight?" Azula cut her off, tapping her temple. Her lips were set in a grim line that looked oddly like frustration. "I already told you, Ty, I can read your every move. I could have struck _both_ your injuries during that first, foolish charge and crippled you in an instant. This personal stand of yours is only prolonging the inevitable. End it now, before you get hurt-"

"Then _HURT_ me!" Ty Lee snapped, pushing herself half-upright. She could feel the pain in her head fading, slowly. Behind her back, her fingers closed around several river-stones. "Fight back with everything you have, you coward!"

Azula's eyes flashed dangerously, and her jaw tightened, but she didn't lose control. "I have no reason to be afraid of _you._ "

"And yet, you're afraid to _kill_ me. You've never held back before-"

"You need to _learn_." Azula cut her off, her voice rising. "You need to learn to survive, not get yourself killed or wounded needlessly. You have to get _over_ this foolish need to avoid finishing your opponents!"

"What, like _you're_ doing now?!" Ty Lee yelled back. "You could have dodged when I used the sunlight against you; you could have used your Firebending from the beginning! But _you're_ holding back, more than _I_ am! Ozai would be _so_ disappointed-"

" _Shut up._ " Azula hissed, smoke rising from her long nails. "Ozai's spent the last twenty years powerless, rotting in a dungeon. I don't give a damn what he thinks-"

"Oh, really?" Ty Lee sneered, surprised by the venom on her voice. "You say that him _maiming_ you for crying is 'correcting a weakness', and you don't care what he thinks? And you're _so_ indifferent about what Ursa _supposedly_ thinks of you, that you hallucinate about her? You went mad because you couldn't decide which of your parents _betrayed_ you more, you couldn't trust the example of either one when you became Fire Lord! Which is why you were _destined_ to fail-"

Azula suddenly lunged forward with a cry of rage, blue fire flaring to life on both her hands. Ty Lee threw herself sideways, rolled as far as she could and jumped up, hurling her fistful of stones at Azula's face. The Princess swept her arm diagonally, and an arc of blue flame shattered them into fragments of ash. The calm was gone from her face; her eyes were blazing with savage fury.

And then, Ty Lee was the one giving ground. Her flight instincts kicked into overdrive, leading her left, right, zigzagging, flipping from rock to rock across the bank, the roar of Azula's bending right behind her. She ducked behind a tree, then dove away almost immediately as a charged fireball blew it apart. Rolling under the trunk of another fallen tree, she sprang up, ducked as a blue fire-jet snarled over her head, and darted back across the clearing, where her dropped _tessen_ fan lay. She snatched it up and leaped onto a rock at the center of the stream, managing to keep her balance despite its' icy surface.

As Ty Lee turned, Azula shot toward her, using her Firebending to propel herself like a rocket. The Kiyoshi Warrior leaped sideways at the last second and landed waist-deep in the river, ignoring the sting of the icy water. Azula plowed past and landed in the shallows, the fire-jets projecting from her hands evaporating the water around her feet. Spinning, she launched a blazing kick at her opponent's face. Ty Lee jerked her head sideways, barely avoiding the blast, but a sudden burst of heat near her scalp told her that her plait had caught fire. Instinctively, she ducked herself entirely under the stream, extinguishing the flames. Her body convulsed involuntarily as the cold assaulted her from all sides, like thousands of needles.

Before she could surface or swim away, a hand caught her collar in an iron grip, yanking her upright and out of the water. As Azula spun her around, Ty Lee snapped her _tessen_ open and slashed at Azula's throat, but the Firebender jerked her head sideways and the strike grazed her cheek instead. She swatted the steel-edged fan from Ty Lee's grip, then drew her free hand back, a blue fire-dagger flickering around her fist.

Ty Lee felt her heartbeat thundering in her ears; her legs would have been numb even if she _wasn't_ standing in freezing water, but her face felt as if she were leaning over a volcano. Azula was inches away, her tangled hair slicked to her scalp and neck, blood running from her cheek wound. Her teeth were bared in a snarl of rage, her golden eyes staring straight through Ty Lee. The fire-dagger started to descend...

Ty Lee resisted the urge to close her eyes. She couldn't move, she couldn't _breathe_ , but she would at least face her death head-on.

Then, Azula's grip on her collar went slack. Ty Lee fell backward, hyperventilating as the frigid water lapped against her torso. Staggering back against a boulder, she struggled to pull herself out of the stream, her breath coming in silvery clouds. She dragged herself onto the bank, gasping, then collapsed, her eyes barely open.

After a few minutes, she heard faint splashing sounds behind her, then the scrape of boots on stones and snow. Drawing a deep breath through her nose, she forced herself onto an elbow; she was shaking so much, she barely managed it. Azula was approaching the balloon, her head turned away from Ty Lee. Wordlessly, she undid the bolts and cords that held the furnace in place, then _lifted_ the entire mechanism free and began half-dragging it back toward the bank. She dropped it a few feet from Ty Lee, kicked the door open and ignited the contents with a small burst of blue fire.

Still not looking at her, Azula tossed a yeti-ibex cloak at Ty Lee and turned away, drawing the _kukri_ knife from her belt. "Strip off your wet clothes quickly, or you'll freeze. Put on the cloak and warm up, I'll find fuel and food."

Ty Lee could still feel her heart pounding in her ears. "Azula... I..."

" _Don't_." Azula's voice was so faint she almost didn't hear it. "I'll... be back soon."

* * *

In fact, Azula was gone for some time. After wringing out her soaked Kiyoshi jumpsuit and laying it to dry, Ty Lee checked herself for injuries; multiple hard landings had left her bruised, and the upper part of her plait had been badly scorched. After moment of hesitation, she removed the jade ring from the end of her braid, then cut most of it off with her _katana_. All her years in the circus, the ringmaster had refused to let her cut her hair or style it another way; after she'd left, she kept it, as a means of looking different from her six sisters. Now... her aura felt different, but not in a bad way. And there was far less pressure on her scalp.

Finally satisfied that her joints were still in working order, Ty Lee pulled the cloak closely around her naked form and huddled next to the furnace, staring into the embers. The duel had left her shaken, but mostly confused; she found herself going over it in her head, blow by blow. Azula had handled her easily, which should have been normal- except she'd been holding back. She'd _frozen_ during the one moment Ty Lee had gained the advantage, then became angry when she was spared.

 _You need to learn._ Had she been _testing_ Ty Lee? They'd both been prodding at each other, uncertain of their motives. Yet Azula _still_ hadn't attacked with deadly force, until Ty Lee provoked her into a rage- and even then, at the last moment she'd restrained herself from a fatal blow. Why _now_? She'd succumbed to her fury before, with Mai on the Boiling Rock, and with Zuko and Katara during Sozin's Comet.

Unstable or clearheaded, Azula _always_ aimed to kill, without hesitation. Except when Ty Lee became involved...

A harsh shriek and the sound of heavy wingbeats interrupted her thoughts. Natsu came circling down from the clouds, landing on a branch protruding from the now-blackened log. She preened the feathers on her neck, staring at Ty Lee with fierce eyes that looked remarkably like her master's.

"Azula's not here. She's off hunting." Ty Lee muttered, drawing the cloak more tightly around herself. Not that a raven-eagle cared what her body looked like, but still... Her eyes fell on a small scroll tied to the bird's left talon, stamped with a seal in the shape of a _kirin_. "You want to leave that with me? I'll keep it safe for her, you can rest or go hunt for yourself."

Natsu cocked her head sideways, as if confused, then made a flapping leap to the ground and hopped toward Ty Lee, plucking the scroll free with her beak. Ty Lee reached out tentatively as the bird approached, stroking her head around the scars as she'd seen Azula do. Natsu dropped the scroll at her feet, nuzzled her fingers in search of food, then gave a croaking screech of disappointment when she found none. Turning away, she pumped her huge wings twice and lifted off.

Ty Lee broke the seal and unrolled the scroll, bracing herself for the worst. A part of her noticed the characters were oddly small and uniform, as if printed or stamped on the paper instead of hand-drawn. She felt a fresh chill run through her as she read the message:

 _Fire Lord Azula,_

 _I regret to inform you that, despite our successful evacuation of Omori, your brother survives; Nishi failed to kill him, and is now Zuko's captive. Whether he can be saved is unknown. However, our collaboration with the Dai Li has won us a far greater prize: my son Shingen has sent me a hawk to say that your niece, Princess Izumi, has been taken hostage. General Iroh was injured, perhaps seriously, during the abduction. If he dies, Zuko will have no alternate heir once he and Izumi are in our custody, making your path to the throne much easier. Shingen is on his way back to Zamyn Togsgol with the Princess; we eagerly await both her arrival and yours._

 _For the good of the Fire Nation._

 _General Takeo._

Ty Lee crumpled the scroll into her palm. She stretched her arm out toward the furnace, as if she could banish the terrible events as easily as the wad of parchment. But at the pace they'd been flying, Azula would find out anyway, as soon as they reached Zamyn Togsgol.

A bundle of thick pine branches clattered to the ground in front of her, breaking her concentration. Azula strode past her, a hog-rabbit and a scorched ptarmigan draped over her shoulders. She dumped the carcasses next to the furnace, then sat down across from Ty Lee and began skinning the hog-rabbit with her knife. "Feed the fire. I'll get the meal ready." Her eyes flicked to the crumpled paper. "Natsu found us, did she? What does Takeo have to say?"

"Shingen's kidnapped Izumi, and he's bringing her back to Zamyn Togsgol." Ty Lee replied in a flat tone, tossing the scroll at Azula's feet. If she wanted to help Izumi, she needed to stay close to Azula. And Takeo's suspicions would be raised, if he realized his message had been intercepted or withheld. "But Zuko's taken Omori. Nishi's been captured."

Azula glanced at the scroll briefly, then scoffed and threw it into the furnace. "Nothing I didn't expect. That up-jumped fool Nishi was never going to get the better of Zuzu; he shouldn't have underestimated the loyalty my brother commands. If you try to remove a reigning monarch _before_ they lose the Mandate of Heaven, their cause becomes all the stronger." She tossed the bloodied hide onto the riverbank, then set about sharpening a narrow branch into a skewer. "Which is why you should always go for their heirs, first. Then, you can force them to give the Mandate up, and destroy them at your leisure."

Ty Lee looked away, the taste of bile in her throat. She inhaled slowly and silently through her nose, feeling her aura finally reach the ice-blue shade she'd been hoping for. She wasn't going to waste time arguing with Azula over the ethics of overthrowing her brother and threatening the lives of his family. At least she knew where both she _and_ Izumi were headed, now. "How long until we get to Zamyn Togsgol?"

Azula glanced at her, one eyebrow arched. "If we stay here for the rest of the day, we should be there by the day after tomorrow." She paused, then set the skewer and knife down and leaned forward. "By the time we're there... you should have your priorities in order."

"And if I don't?" Ty Lee tossed two sticks of wood into the furnace; the pine resin crackled and hissed as it burned. "If I act against you, and General Takeo tries to have me executed?"

"He won't touch you. Not if it means defying _me_." Azula replied firmly. But there was a touch of uncertainty, beneath her frustration; it was almost as if she was _pleading_. Azula never asked, let alone begged, anyone for anything. Except that night in the cave, when she'd asked Ty Lee to lie next to her while she slept...

"Suppose Long Feng and the Dai Li decide I'm untrustworthy?" For about the hundredth time, Ty Lee wondered _why_ she was being so foolish. Azula was the enemy of everyone she loved, had tried to kill her only hours before, and still she was willing to bait her? To test her limits, when she knew how quickly the Firebender could shift to murderous rage? "You don't have any authority over _them._ If they thought I was expendable-"

Azula's hand found her jaw, and turned her face, gently. Ty Lee stared into the hypnotic golden eyes, her heart racing.

"I would kill _all_ of them, if they laid a hand on you." Azula whispered, her fingers caressing Ty Lee's cheek. "Do you hear me? All of them. If it meant you would live... if it meant you would stay with me." She took a deep breath. "I respect your will to fight, Ty, but your cause is lost. And if you prove yourself our enemy... no protection is foolproof, not even mine."

Ty Lee swallowed, then reached up and pushed away her hand. "Thanks...but I don't think I want your protection. Your madness nearly drove you to kill me-"

"My 'madness' is what _saved_ you." Azula interrupted. "In the river, earlier...It was the vision of my mother that urged me to spare you."

Ty Lee blinked. "Ursa's the parent you always defied and hated, when you were a child. Why listen to an _illusion_ of her now?"

Azula shrugged, unconvincingly. "Distractions can sometimes be... solutions." Her expression became serious again. "I won't ever harm you again, Ty. I know you don't trust me, but I meant it when I said I've never lied to you. I'll change course and drop you off in an Earth Kingdom village, if you don't want to go further. Because if you come with me, you _will_ have to choose. Survival, or death; those have always been the only options-"

"You're wrong." Ty Lee stood up. She felt her heart racing, but she didn't break Azula's gaze. "There are always more choices, within both survival _and_ death. I chose to fight, because I won't let you take those choices away from Izumi... the choices Zuko and Mai gave her, the choices _you_ were never given by either of your parents. That's worth more than just survival, to me."

"...So be it." Azula glanced away. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She nodded at Ty Lee's shorn hair. "I'm sorry about your plait, by the way. It looks like we _both_ have different hairstyles, now."

Ty Lee raised an eyebrow, surprised. "I think...that may have been the first time you've _ever_ apologized to me."

A small smirk touched Azula's mouth. "Are you disappointed that it was about something as trivial as _hair_?"

"No, but not surprised either." Ty Lee felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips. This reminded her of how it had been, during their years at the Academy: the two of them bantering and planning pranks on Zuko or Mai, chasing each other through the grounds. If only she'd known what Azula was going through, at the time...

" _Ty_." The glow of the furnace cast wavering highlights in Azula's eyes as she stood up. Her tone was pleading again, but this time for something else. Slowly, her hand stretched out to caress Ty Lee's face again, then stopped, fingers curling back. Ty Lee felt her cheeks burn, wishing she had clothes on under the cloak. She understood now, how the Princess felt, even disguised behind her possessive gestures. But Azula was too afraid to go further. Whether she was paranoid about showing 'weakness' or unable to articulate her feelings, she kept holding herself back.

Ty Lee's own feelings were in a turmoil. There was too much happening now, for her to think about something as trivial as a relationship, especially with someone bent on overthrowing her best friends. But here, and back in the cave, she'd seen Azula gradually emerging from the shell of her former self. She seemed more... human. There couldn't be any harm in nudging her in that direction, slow and dangerous though it might be. It wasn't anything Ty Lee hadn't wondered abut herself, in the past...

She stepped closer, put her hand out and laced her fingers through the other woman's. Azula looked startled, but she didn't pull away. Ty Lee smiled, feeling her aura brighten slightly.

"It's _okay_ , Azula. You don't need the tea, nothing's going to hurt you." She leaned forward suddenly, brushing her lips across the Princess's. After a brief pause, Azula leaned in, returning the kiss. Ty Lee felt another surge of adrenaline in her veins, but this time she had no urge to run away.

She kissed her again, then let her mouth drift lower, towards Azula's throat. Her fingers fumbled to undo the clasps on the ibex-hide jacket. The Princess stiffened for a second, then closed her eyes and let Ty Lee continue.

"Nothing's... going to hurt _you_ , either." She slid her free hand beneath Ty Lee's cloak, her breath coming faster. "I promise."

* * *

"The Fire Princess has just landed, Grand Secretariat. Takeo is waiting for you at the entrance."

Long Feng didn't open his eyes. "She's... alone?"

"No. She has a... companion with her, a woman. She looks Fire Nation, but her armor and weapons are Kiyoshi-made."

The Grand Secretariat chuckled darkly. "How fitting, that Azula returns with _another_ false Kiyoshi Warrior. Though perhaps it really _is_ one of the same girls, from Ba Sing Se." He rose from his meditation and turned around. "Speaking of which, how is Princess Hou-Ting?"

The Dai Li agent grimaced. "Much the same as before. Threatening guards with the wrath of the entire Earth Kingdom, demanding to be released and escorted back to Ba Sing Se with all due deference. Joo Dee's doing her best to placate her, but perhaps you should speak with her."

"Perhaps I should." Long Feng nodded thoughtfully. He'd made an effort to charm Hou-Ting since her arrival, with mixed results. She needed to be handled... diplomatically, rather like some of the Earth Kingdom warlords he was trying to coax to his side. "Thank you, Yuesheng. I'll meet with the Fire Nationals in a moment."

Yuesheng bowed, then swept out. Long Feng glanced up at the luminous crystals projecting from the ceiling, illuminating a statue of an Air Nomad carved into the far wall. Centuries before, these mountain caverns had been a secret sanctuary for monks from the Northern Air Temple. Abandoned before the genocide of Sozin's Comet, the hidden shrine had been re-discovered by nearby villagers from Zamyn Togsgol, many years later. And, now that those villagers were re-educated, the sanctuary would be forgotten again... by everyone, except the Dai Li.

Long Feng bowed his head mockingly to the statue, then raised the cowl of his black cloak and left the chamber. His position was growing stronger by the day; his forces were already considerably larger than Takeo's and growing, thanks to 'volunteers' sent by General Fong. Although the recent loss of Captain Xi was a heavy blow, his protege Genpei seemed a suitable replacement- and, if _he_ proved less than ideal, there were always others. A few more mock-clashes with Takeo's rebels in Earth Kingdom villages, and the rest of Kuei's vassals would be begging for his support against the Fire Nation. Takeo was in no position to refuse; now that he'd fled Omori, he and his followers were dependent on the Dai Li for refuge. Moreover, his losses at Omori and the Caldera Cavern weren't replaceable, at least until Zuko was removed. Takeo _had_ gained the backing of the Agni Kai Triad, but as the United Republic was neutral the Triads could only provide limited support. The rebels still had their cache of Fire Nation machinery and munitions, but they could only play that card once.

The only reason Long Feng didn't wipe the rebels out _now_ , was because he hadn't gathered all the targets together... yet. Particularly Azula. Long Feng's calm masked an uncertainty, and she was its' source. Again and again, he went over his advantages in his head, down to the last detail, making certain there was no way the Fire Princess might outmaneuver or outfight him. But it gave him no reassurance. Azula had beaten him in Ba Sing Se with nothing but a pair of girls, a few disguises, and her own sheer charisma and confidence. And with the Winter Solstice now over, her bending would begin to strengthen again, slowly but surely. Whether she'd really gone insane or not, Long Feng could _not_ afford to let his guard down again.

The sun was rising slowly when he emerged from the sanctuary. Several Fire Nationals were crouching just outside the main entrance, concealed behind various Air Nomad statues and snow-capped boulders; Takeo was peering over the top of a four-foot stone projection. Beside him stood an elderly woman in worn-looking purple silk robes, a red phoenix headband around her brow. Takeo's sunken amber eyes were fixed on two cloaked figures, picking their way up the icy slope toward the cavern.

As Long Feng drew level with Takeo, he made a chopping gesture with his right hand. Stone barriers erupted across the entrance, sealing it. Dai Li agents stepped out from various concealed positions, encircling the newcomers.

"Lower your hoods, now!" Yuesheng barked, raising his stone-encased hand. "Make a move we don't like, and you die where you stand!"

The woman with the phoenix headband glanced irritably at Long Feng. "Call the Mudslingers off. She won't take this well-"

"Not until they show their faces. I'm not letting my headquarters be infiltrated, the way yours were at Omori."

The woman conjured a fireball, but Takeo grabbed her wrist as she raised her arm; the first cloaked figure had already stepped forward. "You want to see who I am?" Her voice rang out harshly. "I have nothing to hide from _you_ , traitors!" Then she pulled the hood back.

Long Feng felt the blood drain from his face. It was Azula, there was no doubt. Her clothes were mostly furs and hides, her features made weathered and gaunt by time. A half-healed gash marred her perfect cheekbones, and her hair was gathered into a loose tail behind her head, rather than a topknot and tresses. But there was no mistaking those predatory golden eyes.

Takeo limped out from behind the rock projections, prostrating himself before Azula. The rest of the Fire Nationals hastily followed his lead. "Fire Lord Azula, welcome to Zamyn Togsgol-"

"Don't act as though you're in my good graces, _General_." Azula cut him off. "Because of your choice of that idiot Nishi, my brother is still breathing! Unless it was the Dai Li who tipped him off? It wouldn't be the first time they've stabbed me in the back!"

"On the contrary, Fire Lord." Takeo didn't rise from his bow. "The Dai Li have proved _very_ useful allies. Without them, we could never have secured Princess Izumi-"

"They aren't _back_ yet, though, are they? There's still time for them to cut the brat loose and defect-"

"The Dai Li's loyalty is _far_ stronger than it was during the Hundred Year War, _Princess_ Azula." Long Feng finally found his voice as he stepped out from behind the rocks. "They are committed entirely to the new doctrine I established for them... since _you_ corrupted the previous one so severely."

Takeo's eyes flashed angrily at the disrespect, but Azula's mouth curved into a contemptuous smirk. "It's been a while, Long Feng. Still seeking the divine right to rule that was never yours to begin with?" She gestured at the Dai Li agents. "Tell your officers to stand down. We've had a long journey, and I'll need rest before we prepare for my niece's arrival."

Long Feng curled his lip. Azula's imperious attitude seemed more of a forced performance, compared to what he remembered. He glanced at the other cloaked figure. "Tell your companion to show her face, first." His eyes fell on the _katana_ hilt and grip protruding over her belt. "You might have chosen a less obvious disguise than a Kiyoshi Warrior, considering our mutual history-"

"I _am_ a Kiyoshi Warrior." The other woman interrupted, lowering her hood. "Or at least, I was. Now, I serve Azula."

Long Feng stared at her, astonished. He'd never seen her without the Kiyoshi face-paint before, and the braid that once ran the length of her back was gone. But there was no question, it _was_ one of the girls who had helped Azula take Ba Sing Se. Unlike the Fire Princess, she didn't look smug; her mouth was set in a thin line and her grey eyes had a hard, determined look in them.

The hairs on the back of Long Feng's neck stood up. This one was trouble, he was sure of it. Takeo also looked startled by the newcomer; he straightened up hastily, a flame flickering in his hand. "Fire Lord, this is the woman who betrayed and attacked you at the Boiling Rock- Ty Lee! She's served as Zuko and Mai's spy for more than a decade-"

"You think I don't know that?!" Azula whirled on him, her eyes blazing. Her hand rested protectively on Ty Lee's shoulder. "The Boiling Rock incident has been settled between us. Ty Lee is with me, now. Touch her, or even _look_ at her the wrong way, and you'll wish you'd never been born."

Before Takeo could respond, the elderly Fire Nation woman stepped forward and prostrated herself at Azula's feet. "If it is the will of the Fire Lord, then Lady Ty Lee's protection is our duty. The New Ozai Society pledges itself to Fire Lord Azula, and welcomes you both. "

Azula glanced down at her. "Lady Tomoe. At last, _someone_ whose loyalty has never wavered."

Tomoe and Takeo both bowed again, going through the act of groveling to Azula, feeding her assurances. But Long Feng was no longer listening. When Azula had warned them away from Ty Lee... She'd dropped her facade. Her threat had been no bluff. Which meant the Fire Princess _cared_ for her companion, something he hadn't thought possible of her.

He watched the way she squeezed Ty Lee's shoulder, watched the brief glance the women shared. He wasn't sure, just how strong the attachment was; he would have to find out, very carefully. For the first time, he realized his nemesis had a weakness. Which made her vulnerable.


	15. Chapter 13: Fire Nation Capital

_Takeo needs her alive._

That thought was the only thing that kept Zuko standing, as the slopes of the caldera grew larger. The airship had been going at a breakneck pace back from Omori, ignoring the risk of foul weather. Three days before, just after they passed the Boiling Rock, a messenger hawk from the Capital had intercepted them. Once its' terrible news was read, Atsuro drove the crew harder than ever, refusing to stop and refuel before the Capital.

Zuko paced the catwalks and chambers of the airship like a trapped animal, so oblivious to everything around him that he nearly plummeted to his death off one of the turrets. Instead of sleeping, he forced himself into a meditative pose, whispering to himself after every ragged breath: " _Takeo needs her alive. Takeo needs her alive._ " Just as he'd once whispered, " _Azula always lies_." Once again, it did nothing to calm him.

Zuko dreaded seeing Mai, far more than he'd dreaded revealing Omori to Aang. He still had to tell her and Tomoru about Ukano's death, but that seemed trivial compared to what had happened in his absence. If he'd taken Mai's advice, and dealt with Takeo's treachery the moment he'd learned of it, the renegade General wouldn't have had time to make an alliance with the Dai Li. The Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom wouldn't be on the brink of a war neither of them wanted. Uncle Iroh wouldn't have been hurt, trying to protect Zuko's family. And Izumi would be safe in her bed, not in the hands of a ruthless conspirator with very little to lose...

 _Takeo needs her alive._

As the towers of the red, black and bronze palace complex came into view beyond the houses and factories, Zuko stared downward, wondering if he would see damage resulting from Iroh's battle. But the damage had been confined to the Caldera Cavern, thank the Spirits. None of the Capital's citizens had suffered for his mistakes...yet.

Ignoring the rhino offered to him by his escort, Zuko vaulted over the rails even before the airship had fully touched down. His boots pounded down the black basalt airstrip, toward the palace entrance. Atsuro's voice came from just behind him, yelling for the gates to be opened. Rushing through them and into the entrance hall, Zuko almost ran directly into General On Ji, but Suki pulled him back at the last second.

"Fire Lord." On Ji had her head bowed, but her voice was grim. "I wish your return was under better circumstances-"

"Do you know where she is?"

On Ji straightened, her eyes narrowing at his dangerous tone. "Lady Mai did everything she could to keep your family safe, Fire Lord. She isn't to blame-"

"I meant my DAUGHTER!" Zuko roared, an angry puff of flame escaping his mouth; did they actually think he blamed _Mai_ for this? "If you've learned where she's being held, you tell me, now! if you don't, tell me where the rest of my family are, then get out of my way!"

On Ji's mouth tightened; this was probably the first time she'd seen Zuko so agitated. However, she wasn't without compassion, and a second later, her expression softened slightly. "General Iroh and Lady Kiyi are being cared for in the Infirmary, along with Minister Tomoru. Fire Lady Mai... she's in the training arena."

Zuko hesitated for a moment. Notwithstanding his Uncle's constant, unconditional love and support, Iroh was also the only other individual left in the Capital with Royal blood. Which made him Zuko's heir, if something happened to... He closed his eyes tightly. No, _NO. Takeo needs her alive._

He wanted to make sure his Uncle would recover... but Mai came first. Inhaling deeply, he opened his eyes. "I'll visit the others after I've spoken with the Fire Lady. The Capital is under martial law, until I say otherwise." He brushed past On Ji, not waiting for a reply.

* * *

The evening shadows were already lengthening when Zuko reached the training arena. As he stepped through the archway, a projectile whistled past his ear, ricocheting off the wall with a metallic _clang_. Mai stood near the opposite wall, her back to him. Her arm was upraised, two more _shuriken_ between her fingers. At the arena's center stood a miniature, self-loading ballista which fired stone discs; Zuko had commissioned it for Izumi, so that she could practice marksmanship with moving targets. Fragments of stone were scattered across the arena, and several throwing knives were embedded in the walls.

" _Mai_." Her name almost choked off in Zuko's throat. "I...I'm-"

"Don't apologize." Mai cut him off, harshly. She flicked her wrist, and a dart zipped from her flowing sleeve, striking the ballista's trigger. The bowstring _thrummed_ , and a stone disc went whizzing across the arena. A second flick of Mai's wrist, and a _shuriken_ shattered the disc before it could hit the far wall. "Apologies aren't going to get her back."

Zuko flinched, but he kept approaching her, cautiously. "I started back, before I even learned about the kidnapping. Nishi _was_ the traitor all along, your suspicions were right. He nearly killed me, halfway through the battle of Omori." He took a deep breath. He dreaded laying a bereavement on Mai now, but he had vowed before their marriage that he would never keep secrets from her. "And... he took your father's life, Mai."

Mai froze, her back turned to him. After a brief pause, she hurled another set of projectiles, triggering the ballista again. "Did he...die well?"

"As well as could be expected. He volunteered to enter Omori to try and persuade the rebels to surrender, but one of Nishi's archers took him out." Zuko wasn't entirely surprised by her apathetic reaction. Although Mai wasn't nearly as hostile toward her father as Zuko was toward his, her relationship with Ukano had never been close to begin with. For her, his 'redemption' in prison had been a case of too little, too late. Besides, she had much higher priorities right now.

"Has Omori fallen?"

"...Yes. We lost a full company of Firebenders and many more injured, but-"

"Then that's one less place we'll have to search for Izumi. Do we have any other leads?" Mai kept her back turned as Zuko drew level with her.

"We know _who_ took her. It wasn't rogue Earthbenders or soldiers from Omashu, that attacked Hira'a. It was the Dai Li. They never disbanded, after Azula banished them during Sozin's Comet; they've been operating in hiding somewhere, who knows for how long. But Takeo has them working for him, they helped him and his troops escape Omori before the attack even started. They've been playing us and the Earth Kingdom against each other, from the start."

Mai half-turned, not meeting his gaze. Her grey eyes were red-rimmed, but dry; her mouth was set in a thin line. "How did you learn this?"

"Ty Lee left us a clue." Zuko put his hand on her shoulder. "You were right to send her to Omori, after all; she left us the evidence we need to stop war with the Earth Kingdom-"

"Where is she?"

Zuko closed his eyes impatiently. Ty Lee's whereabouts were _not_ his first concern, right now. "We still don't know where she is, or if she's still alive. But Suki found the body of her apprentice Jeonsa, killed in an avalanche-"

Mai brushed his hand away. "First, Jeonsa and Ty Lee. Next, my father and dozens of troops. And now, Takeo has the Dai Li _and_ our daughter at his disposal? I keep trying to forgive your mistakes, Zuko, but when they cost us _this_ much, it gets harder and harder." She glanced up at him momentarily; her eyes were like flint. "You let your guard down."

"I never thought they'd risk coming after Izumi in the Capital. I should have expected it-"

"Yes. You should have. But you didn't." Mai's voice was cold and flat, as it was whenever she'd lost her patience. "Just like you should have arrested Takeo, the moment Tomoru found his connection to the New Ozai Society. Just like you should have heeded my warnings about Nishi and Tianze-"

"Tianze had nothing to do with Takeo's conspiracy! He's a fool, but he's loyal; if anything, he helped _save_ lives at Omori!" Zuko bristled angrily. "As for Nishi, I recall _you_ approving his battle plan, before I even returned from the United Republic!"

Mai's eyes flashed. "I advocated for the _plan_ , not the man who created it. You knew he and Tianze had a prior connection to Takeo, you could have detained them both as a security measure before you went to Omori. But you took the risk of trusting them on the battlefield-"

"What do you _WANT_ from me?!" Zuko's voice suddenly rose to a shout. "You don't want my apologies, you don't want my excuses, I _get_ that! I would wipe out Takeo in a second if I knew where he is, but since the Dai Li took our daughter away from you, that's not an option! _SO WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?!_ "

He swept his fist sideways, and a burst of flame shot across the arena, narrowly missing the trebuchet. Mai didn't flinch, but Zuko noticed her expression and immediately regretted his outburst. Despite her distant relationship with their daughter, he knew she would have cut her own throat, rather than surrender Izumi willingly. "If you want me to go and lay my head on Takeo's chopping block in exchange for Izumi, I'll do it. You know I will, Mai. In a heartbeat." He sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples. "But.. we have no guarantee that _that_ will bring her back safely either. And because I _am_ Fire Lord, accountable to the Fire Nation's citizens for my actions, I need consider _their_ fate, first. In case... I don't come back."

Mai stared at him for a moment, then turned away quickly. "I'm not asking you to give Takeo what he wants. As soon as we have a lead, I'm going to get Izumi back myself."

Zuko blinked and lowered his hands, startled. This was a surprising choice, for his usually-cautious wife. "Mai, you can't go after her alone. And Suki can't help you, she's needed on Kiyoshi Island, now that the Earth Kingdom's broken diplomatic relations with us-"

"I don't need Suki, or any other backup." Mai cut him off. "I was friends with your _sister,_ for most of my youth; I know everything I need to about stealth." She triggered the ballista again, scoring yet another hit with one of her _sai_.

Zuko shook his head. "You never fought the Dai Li, Mai. They were masters of stealth even _before_ they served under Azula, and we have no idea what their numbers are. You could get past Takeo's Firebenders, but the Dai Li wouldn't let you within twenty feet of Izumi." He tried to meet her gaze, but she kept looking away, towards Izumi's ballista. "Mai... why won't you look at me?"

"Because when I look at you, I see _her!"_ Mai snapped suddenly, spinning around. She jerked her pointed chin, indicating the burn-scar running from the bridge of Zuko's nose to his left ear. "I see your face... and I see what they might _do_ to her, because I overreacted. Because I couldn't keep my emotions in check." She clenched her fist around a _shuriken_ , not noticing as the multiple points dug into her palm, drawing blood.

"What... do you mean?"

"I took the Earthbenders' leader hostage, just before they fled. I tried to force an exchange, on the one who had Izumi- Genpei, they called him. I threatened his officer's life, and I couldn't let him think I was bluffing. So when he turned and ran with her, I acted. I didn't think, I just acted." Mai's voice was tight in her throat. "If the Dai Li have her, and they want retribution for the one I killed..."

Zuko's insides twisted at that thought, but he focused on the mantra: _Takeo needs her alive_. Killing Izumi would endanger the succession, but it wouldn't overthrow the current government, and anyway, Takeo was more ambitious than that. He tore a strip from the edge of his military cloak and gently took Mai's injured hand, wrapping the fabric around it. The simple task calmed his nerves a bit, brought his focus back to what mattered. "They need her unharmed, Mai. Takeo will have given the Dai Li orders to take Izumi alive. He can't afford to harm her, if he wants to bend me to his will. And if we can get her back before that..."

Mai finally met his eyes. After a pause, she squeezed Zuko's hand, but only briefly. "We _will_ get her back." Her voice was fierce. "Kiyi and Iroh almost gave their lives, trying to keep her out of Takeo's hands. You and I can do no less." Letting go, she strode across the arena to retrieve her weapons.

Zuko felt a fresh pang of guilt. In his terror over Izumi's abduction, he'd barely spared a thought for his uncle and half-sister. "I haven't seen them yet. How are they?"

"Kiyi's bruised, plus a broken wrist and a few minor burns, but she'll be fine." Mai picked up the _sai_ and slid it back into her sash. "Iroh... I'm not sure. The attackers had a Combustionbender with them. One of her bolts exploded right next to him, caved in part of the main chamber-"

"Takeo sent a _Combustionbender_ into the Caldera Cavern? They could have killed everyone there, including themselves!"

Mai's eyes flashed reproachfully again. "We always knew Takeo is a risky gambler- and your uncle paid for it. He's been unconscious since the attack. That kind of injury, at his age..." She noticed Zuko's expression and shook her head. "Avenging the attack on Iroh won't help us now, Zuko. We don't have any leverage against Takeo...yet."

Zuko inhaled deeply through his nose, fighting to calm the fresh rage welling up in his chest. The urge to strike back somehow, even at someone as unimportant as Nishi, was overwhelming, but Mai was right: it wouldn't impede Takeo's plans in the slightest. "What about your brother, is he all right?"

"Tomoru has a concussion, but he's recovering. He's eaten up with guilt; he says he tried to lead Izumi to safety, but she wouldn't listen." Mai's eyes were bright. "They were both in the ventilation shaft when the Combustionbender attacked, and the blast must have knocked them out..." She broke off.

Zuko felt tears sting his maimed eye, but he forced them back. "She...she didn't want to leave her mother behind. She didn't want to lose you." He put his arms around his wife's rigid shoulders. "You already said it, Mai. We _will_ get her back. Together."

* * *

Tomoru was resting on his elbows on a _futon_ , bandages wound around his brow. Livid bruising still showed around his left eye and the bridge of his nose. When Mai and Zuko entered the Infirmary, he immediately began to pull himself upright.

Mai rotated her forearm, and two darts snagged each of Tomoru's sleeves, pinning him to the bed. "Dr. Haruyama told you not to get up."

"I'm fine, Sis." Tomoru caught Zuko's eye briefly, then looked away. "Zuko, I..." he bit his lip, tears welling in his eyes. "I _tried_ to get her away, to safety-"

"You're not a fighter, Tom, and they didn't come to negotiate. Neither of us blames you." Mai put her hand on Tomoru's shoulder, gently but firmly pushing him back against the _futon_. She glanced up at Zuko. "You go visit Iroh and Kiyi, I'll stay and fill Tomoru in."

Zuko swept past them into the next room, sliding the door shut behind him. Most of the medical staff were gathered by a series of shelves on the far wall, housing mixing bowls, bandages, medical instruments, and various bundles of medicinal herbs. Dr. Haruyama was washing her hands in a basin held by an attendant, while another incinerated used bandages with Firebending.

The two patients were lying on _futons_ near the door. Kiyi was on the nearest one, her face bandaged across the nose and her wrist in a splint. Half-healed burns marked her cheek and collarbone. As Zuko approached, her eyelids flickered open. When she saw him, she started to sit up, then let out a gasp of pain as her injured wrist pressed against the mattress.

One of the attendants scurried over. "Lady Kiyi, you were told _not_ to exert yourself!" Noticing Zuko, he immediately bowed low. "Oh, _Spirits_. I'm sorry, Fire Lord, I didn't realize-"

Zuko ignored the blustering attendant and crouched next to his sister's bed, carefully moving her arm into a more comfortable position. "How're you feeling, Kiyi?"

She glanced at her bandaged and splinted forearm and grimaced. "My face isn't as bad as it looks, but I broke my radius when I hit the bunker wall. The doctor's been giving me infusions for the pain."

Zuko winced guiltily. "Looks like you put up a Hell of a fight."

Kiyi managed a weak smile as she lay back. "I wish. Mai and Iroh did most of it." She closed her eyes, and tears rolled down her face. "I'm so sorry, Zuzu. We tried to keep her safe, and it wasn't enough."

"You did everything you could." Zuko leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Just rest. Mai and I will deal with this."

However, his own reassurance failed him as he approached the next _futon_. Iroh looked... so very _vulnerable_. Of course, Zuko had towered over his uncle since age fifteen, but he'd never thought of the old general as small, much less frail. Iroh's face was ashen, much of it discolored by bruises; the right half of his face was swathed in salves, cold cloths and bandages. More bandages were visible under the edge of his blanket, holding his right arm rigidly to his side. His breath came slowly, rattling in his throat.

"The Combustionbender's attack left some burns on his arm and lower ribs- luckily, my resin-based salves can take care of those." Dr. Haruyama joined Zuko, her copper eyes grim behind her spectacles. "However, the concussive force of the explosion dislocated his right shoulder. Falling debris broke several ribs and cracked his skull, as well. He's breathing, but shows no sign of regaining consciousness. We've tried various scented materials to try and bring him to, but nothing's succeeded so far."

Zuko crouched and squeezed Iroh's left hand gently. It was cold to touch; that was a bad sign, especially for a Firebender. "What do you think his chances are?"

"I managed to set his bones and tendons back into place, but even if he revives... At his age, I'm not certain he'll make a full recovery. The Healers from the Water Tribes or the United Republic may be able to do more for him; the Fire Lady's already sent them hawk-messengers."

Zuko bit his lip at the words 'if he revives'. He sat cross-legged next to his uncle's bed, still gripping his hand. "Please do everything you can for him, in the meantime. The future of the Fire Nation may depend on it."

A wry look flicked across the doctor's face. "That's quite a change from when your daughter was born, Fire Lord. Become more practical about the matter of succession, have you?"

Zuko shot her a glare. If she wasn't Iroh's best chance of survival, he would have dismissed her immediately for that remark. "I'd like a moment alone with my uncle, Doctor. Thank you for your service."

Bowing curtly, Haruyama headed to Tomoru's room, followed by her attendants. Zuko turned his gaze back to Iroh, silently willing the golden eyes to open, but the old General's face was still.

"...You always told me what the right thing to do was, _especially_ when I didn't want to hear it. You never gave up on me, no matter how many times I took you for granted, abandoned you, stabbed you in the back. All you asked for after the war, was to return to your tea-shop... But when I asked you back to the Capital to teach Izumi, _still_ you never refused either of us. And now you've suffered for it... again."

Zuko clenched his jaw, but the tears that had been threatening earlier blurred his vision. " _No more,_ Uncle. I won't force you to take the throne, in the event of my death. I won't let your protection of my family be in vain. You might not be able to advise me this time, but I know what I have to do." He pressed Iroh's worn, calloused hand to his brow. "Thank you for saving my life... through three years of exile, and afterwards."

Wiping his eyes, he stood up and returned to the next room. Tomoru was laying back on his _futon_ , finally asleep, but tear-tracts marked his face. Mai's head was bowed, her hand resting on his shoulder.

Zuko sighed as he drew level with her. "You told him about Ukano?"

"Yes." Mai squeezed her brother's shoulder briefly and rose. "He's too exhausted to grieve properly now, though. I knew he'd take it harder- he was always closer to Father than I was." As they left the Infirmary, the four Imperial Firebenders outside the door fell into step on either side of them.

"Do you plan to tell your mother?"

"She doesn't even know he was transferred out of the Boiling Rock. My uncle can send her a message, when there's a better time." Mai glanced meaningfully at him. "We need to make sure the government's in order, before we begin our search for Izumi. I ordered both your Ministries to be summoned, when you arrived. They're probably waiting for us now-"

"Fire Lord!" A young man wearing Navy armor rushed up to them, prostrating himself before Zuko. "I apologize for the interruption, but I was given this scroll by one of my crew and told to pass it along. She said it had something to do with your daughter's whereabouts!" He extended his hand, holding out a small scroll. The wax seal bore the shape of a _kirin-_ Takeo's personal standard.

Zuko stared at him suspiciously. "The name and rank of the sailor who gave that to you?"

The sailor's over-eager expression became apprehensive, then frightened. "I... don't know, I'm sorry! She was a new transfer from another ship-"

" _Your_ name, rank and ship?"

"G-Gunner Metsuji from the _Kaga_ , but-"

Zuko turned to the Imperial Firebenders. "Take Gunner Metsuji into custody. Lock down the _Kaga_ and detain its' crew, immediately. After you've searched every inch of the ship, have the Home Guard bring the crew before Metsuji in a lineup. See if he can identify the one who gave him this scroll; that'll be another of Takeo's agents. If Metsuji doesn't identify anyone, arrest _him_ as the traitor instead."

The guards hauled a protesting Metsuji upright and escorted him away. Zuko ripped the seal off the scroll and unrolled it. The message sent a double surge of anger and fear through his heart:

 _To the Impostor Fire Lord, Zuko,_

 _Your daughter is being held near Zamyn Togsgol in the Dragon's Back Mountains. Commandeer one of your war balloons and travel there as quickly as possible, alone; we will settle our differences when you arrive, by Agni Kai. Ignore this message, or make any attempt to attack my position, and the girl dies._

 _-General Takeo._

He frowned as he surveyed the characters. "Odd... these don't look handwritten, more like they were made by a printing press."

Mai took the scroll from him, scanning it rapidly. "How... did Takeo managed to get this message to us within _hours_ of your arrival? Clearly, he still has spies in the Capital, but the timing indicates that he has some advanced form of long-distance communications. Unless we find and confiscate it, he'll probably know we're coming as soon as we leave the Capital."

Zuko nodded. Takeo was drawing them into a trap, no question. But now that they knew where Izumi was, neither of them would be willing to stay behind. "Have you ever heard of Zamyn Togsgol?"

"No, but there's hardly any settlements in the Dragon's Back. It should be easy to find on a map." Mai slipped the scroll into her sleeve. "We should go present this to the Twin Ministries. Once we've informed them of our plans for the government in our absence, we can make plans for our departure."

"I'll join you in the Throne Room shortly. There's someone I need to speak with first." A frightening suspicion was growing in Zuko's mind. On the surface, Iroh's near-mortal injuries seemed like collateral damage, but Takeo had made it clear he was targeting various members of the Royal Family. And with his description of Zuko as 'the Impostor Fire Lord'...

"Where are you going?"

"To the Grey Tower."

* * *

Built into the stone rim of the city's caldera, the Grey Tower was the Capital's oldest prison, though much of the facility had fallen into disrepair. After Zuko's coronation, he'd reassigned most of the guards and released more than half the inmates. Many had been imprisoned simply for speaking out against the tyranny of previous Fire Lords. Most of the rest were transferred to the more comfortable- _and_ more secure- Boiling Rock. Now, only one prisoner remained in the Grey Tower.

Escorted by the four remaining guards, Zuko hurried up a winding staircase until he reached the topmost corridor of the complex. He tossed a flame into the torch-bracket on the wall, illuminating the bars of the single cell- and the hunched figure inside it.

"Leave us." His voice echoed harshly off the damp stone walls. The guards bowed silently and withdrew.

"It's been some time, since you've dared to come here." A rasping, malevolent voice chuckled. "I heard you'd been away for a while... but within the last few days, the guards on my cell have been doubled. What conspiracy are you going to accuse me of this time? Did I try, yet again, to murder that wretch you call your wife?"

"Uncle was injured, trying to protect Mai and Kiyi-"

"Don't mention your mother's bastard in my presence."

Zuko felt a bloom of hot anger in his chest. "I could have you hanging by the arms, with red-hot tongs against the soles of your feet, in five minutes."

The figure tensed, then waved a hand dismissively. "You abolished torture, or so I heard-"

"No one who's _aware_ of it would object. Your guards were chosen from families who suffered the most under your reign, to ensure they would never set you free or conspire with you."

"And yet, if you're here... someone must have got past you, in spite all your precautions. So naturally, you suspect they may have acted on _my_ orders." Ozai scoffed, shuffling forward until the light fell on him. "If you proceed with torture, you'll gain nothing except denials- if I _last_ long enough for them, anyway." He gestured at his withered frame, by now several inches shorter than his son's. The skin was stretched tight around his skull, and his long grey hair and beard were matted and lank. But the golden eyes, surrounded by deep hollows, still had a gleam of cruel intelligence in them. "I have no advantage to gain, by withholding information from you. Why don't you tell me what this is all _really_ about? You've asked for my advice, once before-"

"The last time I took your advice, I almost started a war." Zuko gritted his teeth. "Nonetheless, I _do_ have something to ask you about: General Takeo. I suspect he's been communicating with you the entire time."

"That upstart?" Ozai's eyes flashed angrily. "Don't mention him in the same breath as me. He thought he was fit to take total command of the Army, after he failed time and again to take Ba Sing Se during the war. And then, when _Azula_ finally succeeded where he and Iroh both failed, Takeo had the gall to deride her as a child, claimed she hadn't _earned_ her place on the battlefield."

"Then you haven't heard anything from him?"

"That would only be possible if his messages came through my guards. As you just observed, you made a point of selecting those that are _least_ likely to show me favor. In any case, Takeo has no reason to feel any loyalty toward _me_. You know very well that _I_ was the one who relieved him of his command, at the height of his military career. He never forgave me for that."

Zuko reluctantly conceded that point. Takeo's grudge against Ozai _was_ part of the reason Zuko had originally offered him a second chance. But Takeo was contradictory and devious to the extreme; he and Ozai had that in common. "He sheltered the former members of the New Ozai Society when their founder- his former friend, Ukano- turned his back on them. And in the last few months, he's targeted nearly every member of the Royal Family in the Capital... except _you_."

"Perhaps he's saving me for last." Ozai shrugged mockingly. "Takeo comes from an old noble family, one of the last of the 'warrior class'; they _live_ to fight. They didn't respect the Fire Lord's power, unless it was demonstrated regularly. At first, this was maintained through the early Fire Lords' special relationship with the Sun Warriors and the Dragons. But since the Sun Warriors were isolated from everyone _except_ the Fire Lords, overtime that became largely forgotten, and the warrior class became restless. Then... my grandfather Sozin came to the throne. After eliminating first the Air Nomads and then the Dragons, he used his war of conquest to unite the noble clans under one banner again. That kept most of them in line for the next century, but as victory drew nearer, their greed for the spoils of war grew. During my father Azulon's reign, Takeo rose through the ranks rapidly, winning battle after battle against the Earth Kingdom's armies. Reports came back to the palace that Takeo was displaying his clan's personal crest, the _kirin_ , above the triple flame banner of the Royal Family. I warned Father _and_ Iroh that this meant trouble, but they both dismissed me as the jealous younger son. After Iroh's defeat at Ba Sing Se, there was no other General who could compare to Takeo. Azulon was in ill health by then, and I knew Takeo's prestige and popularity would endanger the succession. So I acted quickly, to secure my family's position-"

 _"Secure your family's_ _position_?" Zuko repeated incredulously. "Don't feed me lies about why you usurped your brother, and poisoned your father! You did that because my mother made a deal with you, to spare my life-"

"A deal I've obviously regretted, ever since." Ozai spat back. "But, continuing from before you interrupted me: I dismissed Takeo from his command, within two years of my coronation. He never publicly protested, but I knew his ambitions would never be checked, unless he and his line were wiped out. I planned to deal with him and his son, after the return of Sozin's Comet. But then the Avatar stripped me of my bending, and _you_ stepped in... leaving what was left of our family vulnerable. You gave Takeo time, to re-build his position of strength and influence."

"He doesn't have as much influence as you think." Zuko growled. "He's on the run, been declared a war criminal. He only has about two division's worth of followers at his disposal-"

"And yet, if his position is so weak... what makes him such a threat, that you would ask _me_ for help?"

Zuko closed his eyes. It repulsed him to no end, that he was seeking this monster's advice. "Until recently, he was part of a secret that could damage our diplomacy with the other nations, and the Avatar. That no longer matters... But now, Takeo has my daughter. My only heir."

His father scoffed. "You only produced one? _And,_ you allowed Takeo to get his hands on her? Your irresponsibility never ceases to amaze me-"

"SHUT UP!" Zuko roared, a jet of flame flying from his fingers and scorching the far wall, narrowly missing the edge of Ozai's prison tunic. "IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER BUT INSULTS-" He caught himself. Ozai had been right, torturing him would gain nothing. "You'd never understand how I feel about her, you never loved _either_ of your children. But if we'd both been out of your reach, threatened with death... if the only way to save at least _one_ of us, was to surrender yourself to your greatest enemy... would you have done it? For the sake of succession, for the sake of your family?"

Ozai paused, then turned away. "If our dynasty became too weak, it would be unworthy of survival. You were weak initially, but when I forced you into exile, it made you stronger... though not enough. Azula, on the other hand... she only ever showed weakness _once_."

Zuko blinked, confused. He hadn't really wanted to bring up Azula; he'd barely spoken about her in years, hadn't heard from her since her disappearance after the _Kemurikage_ incident. But his sister was the one thing Ozai took pride in besides himself- the one thing he _might_ have held affection for, during his reign. He leaned forward. "When... did Azula _ever_ show weakness, in your eyes?"

"That isn't your concern. She's vanished into exile now, probably succumbed to madness." Ozai snapped. "But as for the weakness itself: when it happened, she cut it away and never looked back. Made herself worthy as my heir, while you were off chasing the Avatar. She couldn't be trusted while I was in my prime, she was just as ambitious as _I_ had been. But if I _had_ been able to live out my life on the throne... if I'd become vulnerable in my old age, and needed a strong successor to ensure our family's continuation... I would have been _honored_ , if Azula had usurped me." He turned around, his cold eyes boring into Zuko's. "If you have the means to keep our family on the throne through the next generation, and the strength to carry out those means... let _nothing_ stop you."

* * *

By nightfall, the Throne Room was lit only by a handful of lamps, but Mai didn't bother to ignite the fire-trench; she preferred the shadows anyway. She watched from the throne, as the Twin Ministries of War and Peace argued across the great table- civilian ministers and representatives on the right, military on the left. Some of them had been at the Siege of Omori, some with her in the Capital, when Izumi was taken. Now, they bickered over strategy while they waited for Zuko.

Mai couldn't be bothered to fill them in right now, just as she couldn't be bothered to grieve for her father yet. Her brother might think her cold, but after Ukano had sacrificed their childhood for his political ascendancy, after what his ingratitude and treachery toward Zuko could have caused... He'd always been a fool. A brave fool, that was his one redeeming feature. And of course it had led to his downfall, even when he'd tried to redeem himself.

She pushed Ukano to the back of her mind; if she found any tears for him, she would shed them later. Especially after Nishi's treachery, and Takeo's sudden message, she couldn't show any weakness in front of the military. Both Nishi and Metsuji were in the custody of the Home Guard, now; leaving them with the Army or Navy, whose commanders were dominated by the warrior class, was too risky. If a high-ranking officer like Nishi was under Takeo's influence, there was no telling how many subordinates he'd poisoned against Zuko. But General On Ji was from Mai and Zuko's generation, and reform-minded. Her Home Guard would oversee martial law, alongside the regular military; if a coup happened in Zuko's absence, the plotters would have to fight every step of the way.

Unfortunately, using the Kiyoshi Warriors wasn't an option anymore, Mai mused. Her eyes fell on the green-robed, armored figures at the base of the dais. Suki was a longtime friend who supported Zuko's diplomatic policies, but she and her Kiyoshi followers were Earth Citizens, and their first obligation was to their homeland. If war was declared, they would be recalled to Kiyoshi Island. Not that Mai herself would be in the Capital much longer, either. Now that they knew where Takeo was, no protests or reproaches from the government would keep her and Zuko from going after Izumi.

Forsaking her position as Regent was easy enough; Zuko had declared martial law, so at least there was a backup system of order in place, and the Fire Nation's borders would be secure. The only trouble, as Zuko had pointed out, was that they didn't have a clear alternative to lead the government, long-term. Martial law would keep order for now, but if the crisis continued indefinitely it would create unrest. And if... she closed her eyes tightly, but forced herself to consider the awful thought. _If_ Takeo succeeded in wiping out both her husband and her daughter, if Iroh died and there was nothing left of the monarchy, the Fire Nation might collapse into chaos. Or, if the military became desperate to hold onto their power in the face of civilian protest, it might evolve into a dictatorship. After all the efforts she and Zuko had made to give their people a voice, she couldn't let them slide back into that kind of tyranny.

Finally, Zuko entered the Throne Room. He'd changed out of his military garb, but rather than the ornate trappings of the Fire Lord he wore a simple travel robe, though the five-pronged headpiece still gleamed in his topknot. His dual _dao_ swords hung on either side of his belt. As one, the assembly rose and bowed their heads silently. Zuko didn't apologize for his delay, and there were no offers of concern for Iroh or reassurances of Izumi's safety; everyone knew now wasn't the time. The various ministers watched Zuko expectantly as he sat down next to Mai, but he seemed unable to form words.

Mai knew Zuko had nothing but good intentions for his people, but he was still too trusting- despite what his father had done to him, despite the way Azula had manipulated him for years. And in his trust, he'd forgiven people he shouldn't have, people who now had their hands around Izumi's throat. She knew Zuko's guilt over that must be eating him alive, as it had been to her since the abduction; she could still see the anguish in his eyes now. But she hardened her heart, forced her feelings beneath the surface. She would fully forgive him- and herself- only after Izumi was safe.

Jee finally caught her eye, and she nodded briefly. The Grand Admiral bowed to her and Zuko again, then turned to the assembly. "Men and Women of the Twin Ministries, we are in the midst of a grave crisis. For those who aren't fully aware, the Fire Lord has been conducting a secret campaign against Fort Omori, a wartime fortress in the Western Air Nomad Lands. Until recently, Omori was controlled by General Takeo, a pardoned war criminal who was declared traitor for sheltering escaped members of the New Ozai Society. Omori has fallen, but Takeo and his followers have escaped. Based on his message to the Fire Lord, we believe they're hiding in the Dragon's Back Mountains, somewhere between the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Air Temple. Takeo's escape was made possible, through his alliance with a rogue faction of the Dai Li." He raised his hand to stifle curses and gasps of surprise. "Takeo... Takeo is also responsible for the abduction of the Fire Lord's only child and heir, Princess Izumi. Coupled with the Fire Nation's recent tensions with the Earth Kingdom, and General Iroh's injuries, this puts both our monarchy and our government in dire circumstances indeed."

After a measured pause, On Ji spoke up. "If it's the Dai Li that are responsible for conspiring with Takeo, we should inform the Earth King at once. If they're undermining his rule, and that of his vassals, he should be made aware-"

"The Earth King has broken diplomatic relations with us." The Foreign Minister, a middle-aged woman named Byakuren, interrupted her. "We now only have communication with Ba Sing Se through the United Republic Council, and even that is limited."

"And given Takeo's demands, publicly exposing the Dai Li would risk Izumi's life." Mai added curtly.

On Ji bowed hastily. "My apologies, Fire Lady. I didn't mean to imply that her safety wasn't our highest priority-"

"I know what you meant. And I know that most of you are more concerned for the safety of your Nation than for hers. Which... is both practical, and admirable. But Izumi's safety is intertwined with that of the Fire Nation; _both_ are of prime importance."

"Hear, hear." General Tianze thumped his fist on the table.

"What's the situation abroad?" Zuko finally spoke, addressing Byakuren.

"The Southern Water Tribe has confirmed its' defensive alliance with us, should Ba Sing Se or any of its' vassals declare war or make any unprovoked attacks." Byakuren steepled her fingers together. "The United Republic has confirmed its' neutrality, but its' ruling Council has been reduced to three and both the Avatar and Katara have left Republic City. Toph Beifong claims they're on an emergency diplomatic mission, but we haven't had any sightings of them since their departure. The Northern Water Tribe, on the other hand, signed a defensive alliance with the Earth Kingdom."

"No surprise there. I'm sure the Northerners haven't forgotten Zhao's siege." Zuko shook his head."Aang must be trying to talk the Earth King down. Speaking of which, is there any news on that front?"

"The Earth Kingdom's Council member in Republic City was recalled, but not their Ambassador; _our_ Council member, Tanken, managed to speak with him briefly. King Kuei is now accusing the Fire Nation of making an attack on a village in the Dragon's Back Mountains. I assumed this attack was either false, or carried out by Takeo to fan the flames between us and the Earth Kingdom." Byakuren glanced up at the throne. "In addition... Kuei declared an embargo, shortly after he broke off communication. All Fire Nation ships in Earth Kingdom ports are to be confiscated, and any incoming ships will be turned back. Not all of Ba Sing Se's vassal states have obeyed this order, but Puyo and Gaoling both have. Combined with Omashu and Ba Sing Se, that accounts for at least two-thirds of our trade with the Earth Kingdom."

"Have we responded in kind to the embargo?" Zuko pulled at his beard, his forehead knotted with stress.

"Yes. All Earth Kingdom ships still in our ports have been similarly seized, on Fire Lady Mai's orders...although _I_ advised against it." Byakuren shot Mai a reproachful look, which she ignored. "Given that most of Princess Izumi's abductors were Earthbenders, we suspected she might be in the Earth Kingdom. And now that we know she's in the hands of the Dai Li, we should offer King Kuei reconciliation, if we want him to allow us passage to pursue Izumi and Takeo-"

"No." Zuko cut her off. "Our embargo continues, until diplomatic relations are restored. Even if this is resolved peacefully, there's no guarantee that we'll recover our goods post-conflict. Besides, as far as Takeo knows, we haven't learned about his partnership with the Dai Li. If we escalate this conflict with Kuei, in every way _short_ of open war, it may lull him into a sense of false security. Continue to hold all seized shipments- except any from Kyoshi Island." He glanced apologetically at Suki. "Suki, you and your Warriors are released from my family's service; if this _does_ escalate into a war, you shouldn't be caught between two sides. But I do have one final request for you: if you're able to do so _quietly_ , go to Kuei and show him the same evidence you showed me."

Suki bowed. "Anything to further the peace, Zuko." She turned to Mai and bowed again. "Mai... it's been an honor. If we learn anything about Izumi, we'll let you know at once, to Hell with Kuei's orders."

Mai bowed her head back briefly, touched. It had taken her and Suki a long time to trust each other, but the Kiyoshi woman had proven a loyal friend and confidant. "Go with our love, Suki. Keep your people safe."

As soon as Suki left the Throne Room, Tianze rose. "What do our spies say about Earth Kingdom mobilization?"

He'd been waiting until Suki was gone to ask _that_ question, Mai mused. None of the older Generals or Admirals trusted her association with the Kiyoshi Warriors, seeing them as foreign spies. In fact, at first it had been the reverse; Mai had spied on _Suki_ until she was assured of her trust. In any case, she'd kept the Kiyoshi well away from her brother Tomoru and his spy networks. She leaned forward. "One-third of Ba Sing Se's troops have been mobilized and sent west, to join the Army of Omashu. Gaoling has mobilized its' army and joined them as well. Puyo has also mobilized, but General Fong seems to be sending his new conscripts north instead of southwest."

"Hmm." Tianze nodded, pulling at his silvery mustache. "Either Fong's volunteered to hunt down Takeo's followers, in the name of the Earth King... or, he's in cahoots with Takeo and the Dai Li. Either way, the Army of Puyo is an enemy force. Where do we deploy?"

"Haven't you been _listening_?!" Byakuren threw him an incredulous look. "We're doing everything we can to _prevent_ war here-"

"Not one but _two_ of our generals have turned traitor, and kidnapped the heir to the throne!" Tianze snapped. "And they're on Earth Kingdom soil- how _else_ do you propose we get her back?!"

"By diplomacy! With the Earth King's resources and authority, we can cover ground much more quickly, cut off the conspirators' escape easier! That's why the Fire Lord asked the Kiyoshi Warriors to inform the Earth King-"

"He asked them to do so, only if they can inform Kuei _quietly_." On Ji interrupted. "The Dai Li had a vast spy network at their disposal, during the war, and they may still. They'll know of any Fire Nationals landing on Earth Kingdom soil long before we get close to Takeo. And if we negotiate a public peace with Kuei, we'll have to reveal Takeo's conspiracy as the cause; that might provoke him to kill Princess Izumi. "

Mai closed her eyes briefly, fighting to keep her breathing calm and even. She had been trying very hard _not_ to think about that possibility. Her hands gripped together so tightly, her knuckles went white. She needed to get out of here, to find those monsters who had taken her child. She caught Zuko's eye briefly, knew he was thinking the same thing.

"Our esteemed Home Guard Commander is right." Jee rose again. "Short of going to war or playing directly into Takeo's hands, we need a stealth-based expeditionary force, if we're going after the Princess. And stealth isn't exactly our Army's strong suit, except for the Yuyan Archers-"

"We won't need an expeditionary force, Admiral." Zuko interrupted. He turned to Atsuro. "Commander, I need you to requisition an observation balloon, and two of your best Air Scouts."

"Of course, Fire Lord, but what for?"

"Fire Lady Mai and I are going to the Dragon's Back Mountains, alone." Immediately, Zuko had to raise his voice against shouts of protest. "I know it seems ill-chosen, but-"

"Ill- chosen?!" Repeated Aju, the elected Representative of Ember Island. "You've placed us under martial law, upheld a mutual embargo on the Earth Kingdom, increased tensions to the point of war, and now you're leaving the government leaderless?! This is a recipe for disaster! And if Takeo captures both of you and eliminates the monarchy in one stroke-"

"Iroh is still alive." An edge of impatience was entering Zuko's tone. "He has an older claim to the throne than mine, and the Imperial Firebenders will guard him with their lives. If Izumi, Mai and I are killed, he's next in the succession-"

"Iroh is old, there's no guarantee he will recover, and his only child is long dead." Jee interrupted. "Besides, Takeo's forces are some of the Army's best veterans; even if you could defeat them all, there's still the Dai Li. I'm sorry, Fire Lord, but I can't advise you to enter the Earth Kingdom as fugitives, alone-"

"Why not?" Mai cut him off. "Zuko did exactly that when he was sixteen, when both the Fire Nation _and_ the Earth Kingdom wanted his head. And you _do_ remember who helped Azula take Ba Sing Se without a shot fired?"

A wry smile twitched the corner of Zuko's mouth briefly. Jee looked chagrined, but he held firm. "Forgive me, Fire Lady. But that was before Zuko was crowned Fire Lord, before the entire world knew his face. He will easily be recognized-"

"We're taking that chance." Mai swept her eyes across the table, from one minister to the next. "For those of you who have children, which is more than half of you... you know exactly why Zuko and I don't have any choice in this matter." She was relieved that her voice stayed steady. "To secure the Capital, we'll seal off the Great Harbor; all United Republic and Water-Tribe ships will be diverted to secondary ports." She met On Ji's eyes. " _No_ _one_ _else_ gets near Iroh or the rest of the government, you understand?"

The Home Guard commander bowed her head. Zuko glanced at the Navy, Army and Air Fleet leaders. "Tianze, you'll be in charge of nominating Nishi's successor as commander of the Second Army. The First Army will remain under your command, ready to defend against any attack on the southern islands- including the Sun Warriors' homeland." Tianze nodded gruffly. "Atsuro, you'll continue patrolling the skies over the Fire Nation, but hold your airships in reserve. If any military force without my personal banner approaches the coast, you send them to the sea-bed. Jee, raise the Gates of Azulon and lay mines across the harbor; that should secure the sea-approach to the Capital. Use the rest of your fleet to patrol our coastlines and reinforce our maritime borders against any incursions by the Earth Kingdom."

Jee's iron-grey eyebrows were still furrowed in concern. "Zuko, my Fleet is three times the size of the Earth King's, and much more powerful. We could spare enough ships to at least provide you and Mai with a Naval escort-"

"An escort would only draw attention to us." Mai shook her head. "A _distraction_ , on the other hand...Send four corvettes to the coast of the Hu Xin province, nearest to the Dragon's Back Mountains. If they create a diversionary skirmish there, it will give the two of us time to slip across the border by balloon. The Dragon's Back is sparsely inhabited, so we should be able to avoid civilization until we reach this 'Zamyn Togsgol'."

Zuko glanced at Mai, and she nodded. They'd had a contingency plan formed, years before; no one knew if it would work, but now was the time. Zuko rose, removing the headpiece from his topknot. Mai did the same with hers, then both tossed the decorative pins onto the table below.

"As of this moment, I am no longer Regent. Martial law will continue under the council leadership of Admiral Jee, Generals On Ji and Tianze, and Commander Atsuro- but Byakuren will retain her authority as Foreign Minister. _If_ we or Izumi don't return..." The words almost caught in her throat. "...And the succession dies with Iroh, the monarchy will be abolished. There will be an election among the Twin Ministries to determine the next Regent. This will ensure that our reforms stand, and that future ones can be made if necessary, without totally destroying the structure of the government."

There was astonished murmuring among the assembly. Byakuren cleared her throat. "My Lord, my Lady... forgive me, but this seems extremely risky. Should this... experiment fail, with the monarchy gone, the Fire Nation may collapse-"

"I'm sorry, but this is our final decision." Zuko replied firmly. "Each of you has done your duties diligently, and with honor, throughout my reign. Until we return- _if_ we return- my final command as Fire Lord, is that you show my successor the same commitment and loyalty you've always shown me. For the good of our people-"

At that moment, the main door burst open and two of the Imperial Firebenders rushed into the Throne Room. Before they had even prostrated themselves before the dais, one of them began to speak. "Forgive the intrusion, Fire Lord, I know you requested no interruptions. But..." He paused to catch his breath. "You have visitors, and they refused to wait."

Alarmed, Mai twitched her wrist; under her sleeve, a pair of _shuriken_ slid between her fingers. Were Takeo and the Dai Li sending them another unpleasant surprise?

But the couple who entered weren't Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation. The woman wore fur-trimmed blue-and-white robes, with a leather waterskin on her belt; she had blue eyes, nut-brown skin, and a no-nonsense expression. The man beside her wore a saffron-yellow tunic and a bright orange cloak. A hood hid most of his face, but Mai glimpsed a strong jaw and a chinstrap beard. Arrow-tipped blue tattoos ran along his forearms, and he carried an ornate wooden staff in his left hand.

Mai recognized the couple immediately. She glanced quickly at Zuko; he was staring at the newcomers, conflicting emotions flashing across his face. Finally, he spoke. "Aang. Katara. I... assumed you were in the Earth Kingdom. I tried to get in touch with you before..." He glanced beyond them, frowning. "Where are your kids?"

"Toph and Sokka are running daycare in Republic City, for a little while." Katara shrugged. "We figured you were preoccupied with your little international crisis, but too proud to ask any of Team Avatar for help. As usual."

Mai felt her mouth twitch in reluctant amusement. Katara had scored a hit _there._ Zuko glanced away briefly, his face reddening. "More that I... felt guilty. I owe you an explanation-"

"That you do." Aang pulled his hood back. His light grey eyes swept from Zuko to Mai, then back. "But we can talk on the ride. Appa's outside- we're headed to Zamyn Togsgol."


	16. Chapter 14: Zamyn Togsgol

The icy breeze against her face eventually woke Izumi, accompanied by a muffled crunching sound. Her eyelids flickered open, but what she saw confused her; most of her vision was obscured, except a small window the upper right corner. She could make out a white blur that moved past with each _crunch_ ; she felt herself gently rising and falling, as if she was floating on the waves at Ember Island _._ Her breath formed wispy clouds in front of her face, and smaller flecks of white danced across her vision. Since when did it snow in the Fire Nation Capital, even in the dead of winter?

A particularly hard jolt struck her in the side. She tried to twist herself sideways, and the dark material blocking her vision pressed against her face; her nose told her it was old leather, perhaps a cloak or a blanket. She was laying across something smooth and warm, but rigid; it pressed into her ribs, her body hanging over either side. She tried to brush aside whatever was covering her face, but her hands wouldn't move. Her arms were dangling in front of her, her wrists encased in what felt like... stone? She flexed her fingers, scratching at the surface of her bonds. Yes, it _was_ stone. What was going on? She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was gone; her throat was so dry, all that came out was a raspy cough.

"Sounds like she's regaining consciousness." A familiar male voice spoke from nearby; the accent was Earth Kingdom. "I was beginning to worry she was in a coma."

"Me, too." A warm hand touched Izumi's shoulder. "We'd better find camp soon, she'll need to be kept warm." This voice was familiar as well. A woman's...

Then, it all came back to her in a rush. Takeo's rebels and the rogue Earthbenders had taken her from the Capital. Aunt Kiyi and her mother had been hurt trying to protect her. And Iroh...

Izumi squeezed her eyes shut, but she could feel tears of grief and rage welling up and running across her face. If Granduncle Iroh had been killed... She didn't know how, she didn't know when, but she would find a way to make these murderers pay. But for now, she needed to figure out how to get loose. She sniffled, and her nose caught another smell, one she remembered from trips to Ba Sing Se: ostrich-horse fur. The thing poking her in the side was a saddle, and she was laying across the beast's back.

"Not to worry, there's a village around the next bend." The male voice spoke again. This time, she recognized the voice; it was the huge, bearded Earthbender who had tried to reason with Mai. "Keep her under the cloak, though- and I'd advise hiding your tattoo and armor. We've infiltrated this village before. It's so isolated that no one's heard about the Earth King's spat with Zuko yet, but all the same, they aren't fond of Fire Nationals. There's a few Earthbenders there who might try to pick a fight-"

"Maybe a few of us could _use_ a good fight with a Mudslinger." Sneered an unfamiliar voice, this one with a Fire Nation accent. "Besides, you lot are wearing Omashu uniforms; they won't suspect a thing if you just wave us through."

"We're taking a risk, passing through here. If the girl's seen and recognized-"

"There's no one _left_ there to recognize her." Izumi recognized the next voice as Shingen. "I got a hawk from my father, a day ago. His troops burned the village to the ground last week. No survivors."

" _What?!_ " The bearded Earthbender exclaimed. There was a sound of stones cracking and grinding together. "Why the Hell would Takeo do that?!"

"Your precious 'Grand Secretariat' ordered it. Who else?"

"Long Feng would never-"

"Never _what?_." Shingen sneered. A fluttering noise came from nearby, the sound of a flame igniting over someone's hand. "This entire alliance is built around Long Feng and my father restoring each other to power. You actually think they're going to achieve that from _exile_ without getting their hands dirty? Don't pretend you're that naive. You Mudslingers spilled Fire Nation blood when you made that false-flag attack on Hira'a."

"We _limited_ the casualties, as the Dai Li always do! Fear is a more effective tool than actual bloodshed!"

Izumi froze. _Dai Li_. Her mind swept through dozens of history lessons on the Earth Kingdom, and conversations with both her parents. The Dai Li were the former secret police of Ba Sing Se, so obsessed with keeping order that they'd brainwashed anyone who questioned them- and so corrupt that they had defected to the Fire Nation, rather than give up their power. She struggled to angle her hands into a Firebending position, to somehow burn through her bonds-

"Maybe for idealistic underlings like you." Shingen replied. "As for actual _strategists_ -"

There was a whistling of a heavy object flying through the air, then the thud of rock slamming into an armored body. The snarl and crackle of flames suddenly came from multiple directions, but it was drowned out by two sharp _cracks_ and an explosive _bang_ that jolted the ostrich-horse. It reared up, squawking frantically, and Izumi was nearly thrown off. She felt as if she were back in the ventilation shaft; everything around her was dark, shaking, ringing with horrible noise. Instinctively, she twisted her body away from the fight, her fingers clawing frantically at the stone manacles, her breath coming in faster-

Her breath. That was the answer, as Iroh had told her so many times. _Fire comes from the breath, Izumi, never the muscles_. She stopped moving, curving her fingers into a crescent shape, and inhaled slowly and deeply through her nose.

"Enough." The voice of the tall, tattooed woman rang out. "Stand down, Shingen. We're within sight of our goal, we can't afford to break our alliance now."

"Don't hide behind that excuse, Rila." Shingen's voice became resentful. "You're just trying to keep your Mudslinger _boyfriend_ safe from me-"

"Don't you question _my_ loyalty to the cause, you aristocratic toad." Rila's tone sharpened. "You think _you_ have a grievance against Zuko? I've been training to avenge my father for almost fifteen years; you've been living on Takeo's estate or in cushy officer's quarters since the end of the war."

"I threw all of that away and joined my father, the _moment_ Zuko named him traitor-"

"Because you're hoping to get it back, plus interest, as soon as Zuko's dead." Rila scoffed. "Wake up, Shingen. The Fire Nation will never accept Takeo as its' leader, even if he uses the girl as a puppet."

After a pause, Shingen chuckled darkly. "If _that's_ what you think is going to happen... clearly, your Dai Li bedfellow hasn't told you _everything_. But you'll find out, when we reach Zamyn Togsgol." His steps faded away. There was a jingling of reins, and the ostrich-horse grunted and began to march again.

"What...was he talking about, Genpei? What did Shingen mean, when he said you hadn't told me everything? What's waiting at Zamyn Togsgol?" There was a brief pause, then Rila's tone turned bitter. "You aren't going to tell me anyway, are you? Because you've been spying on me the whole time. Because I'm an _Ashmaker_ , a threat to the stability of your precious cause."

Half of Izumi felt curious, while the other half wished she could put her fingers in her ears. This conversation reminded her of the few occasions she'd overheard her parents fighting...

"Who and what you are has nothing to do with it." Genpei's voice sounded both hurt and guilty. "Yes, I reported some of what you said to the Dai Li; you've known that since we started sleeping together. But on Xi's grave, I never mentioned anything that would put you in danger. And I never told him about _your_ endgame... because I already know it's going to fail."

"What?"

"Takeo told us things in Omori, that I couldn't share with you. I _wanted_ to, you have no idea how many times, you have a right to know... But I still can't, not yet. Certainly not in front of the girl." A bulky hand touched Izumi's back through the leather blanket. "If she somehow escaped, anything she revealed could compromise _both_ our causes-"

"'The cause, the cause.'" Rila's angry tone rose. "You always come back to that, in the end, even though you're too naive to see that you're just a pawn! You don't trust anyone, except the man who's leading you to your doom! At least I've got sense enough to cut and run, once I've taken Zuko's head!" Her voice softened for a moment. "Why... why won't you come with me? You know where I'm going. It's a chance for a fresh start."

Izumi strained to catch Genpei's reply, but all she heard were the crunching of boots and stone shoes in the snow. As the ostrich-horse turned again, there were several sighs of relief from the people around her; they must be nearing the village. Someone jerked the beasts' reins, and it began to slow down. Izumi craned her head sideways, trying to nudge the leather cover off so she could see more clearly, but it wouldn't budge. But from the small window she could see, the light was definitely getting fainter. Was it sunset already? She took another slow breath through her nose. Yes, it _was_ taking her longer than usual to draw the energy to her palms. On the other hand, if she was going to escape now, the night would help her hide. She wasn't sure where she would go yet, though...

The ostrich-horse suddenly came to a stop. The leather blanket was lifted off, and Izumi found herself staring up at Genpei and Rila. She flinched as the tattooed woman reached toward her. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"

The Firebender's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to hurt you-"

"Like you weren't going to hurt my mother?! And my granduncle?!" Izumi hated the way her voice was shaking, and she raised it again, trying to banish her fear. "T-touch me and I'll kill you!"

Rila's jaw tightened, but the bearded Earthbender put a hand on her shoulder. "You can't blame her for reacting that way, Rila. It's how she and Hou-Ting were raised, to think they're untouchable. Even if that wasn't the case, we _did_ attack her family."

"We didn't kill them, _or_ her." Rila shoved his hand away as she lifted Izumi off the ostrich-horse and set her down against the wall of a small stone shrine, at the entrance of the village. "That's fairly different from what happened to _my_ father at Zuko's hands-"

"But you're _planning_ to do the same to her, that Zuko did to you." The huge man gave her a direct look. "I know you need closure, Rila, but be careful how you justify this-"

"Oh, like how _you_ ' _re_ justifying the restoration of the Dai Li? Shingen just told you that your boss ordered an Earth Kingdom village massacred, just to manipulate a few vassals to his side. You think that kind of dishonesty is the right way to restore order?"

Izumi quickly glanced back and forth. To her left was the burned out-village. Shingen's rebels had turned one of the remaining houses into a bonfire, and most of them were huddled around the blaze. A few others were standing guard at the village gate, while the Dai Li were busy herding several ostrich-horses into the half-wrecked stable.

To her right, was the slope of the mountain. Several sections of the slope had been cleared and leveled for growing crops, but apart from a small footpath and irrigation channel, the rest of the mountain was untouched. Beyond that, snow-capped trees and fog-shrouded peaks, as far as she could see. Izumi took another slow breath, feeling the energy build between her cupped hands, ready to ignite.

The big man glanced away. "I... need to speak with Long Feng. Figure out how close we are to the endgame, and exactly what his strategy is-"

"It's the same as Takeo's, and you know it. He isn't killing any royals, because Kuei's too valuable and too weak to fight him, with his daughter as a hostage. But anyone who he deems necessary _will_ be removed. You should already know that; you lost your mentor, just for the sake of capturing _her_." Rila jerked her chin in Izumi's direction. "How long before he sees your loyalty to the Earth Kingdom over _him_ as a liability, and decides to - _LOOK OUT_!"

She grabbed Genpei's shoulder and shoved him to the ground, as Izumi's charged fireball screamed over their heads. It struck a supply cart behind the last ostrich-horse, igniting it and throwing flaming debris in every direction; the poor beast panicked and took off, dragging the blazing wreckage. As shouts of alarm and curses came from all sides, Izumi sprang to her feet. She swung her forearms as hard as she could against the shrine wall, shattering her bonds. Launching a jet of of flame from the heels of her hands, she ran to the edge of the path and threw herself over it. Ignoring the chill of the snow and frozen rocks jabbing her from all sides, Izumi tucked her head and legs in and kept rolling down the slope.

The ground suddenly leveled out, and Izumi realized she'd hit the farmland terrace. Leaping upright, she ran as she had never run before, praying she could reach the treeline before a Dai Li agent grabbed her-

A fireball whistled over her head, and she ducked lower. She heard the rumble of someone Earthbending, and thrust her arms behind her, launching fire-jets from her fists. The blast rocketed her forward, between two pines. A branch scraped the side of her face, and then she landed on her stomach in a small snowbank. Dazed, Izumi sucked in another breath and forced herself back on her feet. The trees and the growing darkness would help hide her, but she wasn't safe yet. Already, she could hear shouts and footfalls approaching.

"TAKE HER ALIVE, YOU FOOLS!" Shingen's voice bellowed from somewhere above. "Unless you want the same fate as the comrades we left in Omori!"

Izumi ducked low and ran to the next tree down the slope. She had no idea where she was going, but lower ground was further away from the village-

A barrier of rock suddenly erupted out of the snow in front of her, forcing her to stop. She spun around, flames igniting over both her palms. Genpei stood next to a gnarled stump, his rock-gloved hand outstretched.

"Come quietly, Princess." His low voice was soft, but commanding. "You can't hide from me, I can sense the vibrations wherever you move. Rila and I only want to keep you safe-"

"I'm never going with _you_ , Muslinging murderer!" Izumi froze the moment the hateful word left her mouth, in spite of her fear and anger. Had she really just used her ancestors' name for Earth Citizens, the one meant to mark them as lesser people?

Genpei's expression hardened at the insult. Before Izumi could react, his hand molded into a crescent shape, and the stones around his fingers fused together and shot forward. There was a sudden ringing pain in her right temple, and everything went dark again...

* * *

A brazier of blue flame tinted the luminous crystals in the ceiling turquoise. Azula sat on her crossed heels at the far end of the stone table; opposite her was Long Feng, surrounded by eight Dai Li officers. Only four Fire Nationals flanked Azula: Takeo and his adjutant at her right, and Ty Lee and Tomoe at her left. She needed no others on her war council. Long Feng's need for a full squad of bodyguards simply betrayed his insecurity.

"We should include Nishi in our demands, if he's still alive." Takeo leaned forward. "He's always been loyal, and a skilled General-"

"His common birth and hatred for the monarchy made him foolish enough to try to assassinate my brother."Azula cut him off, sharply. In truth, Nishi hadn't put their plans in serious jeopardy, but the more obligated Takeo was to her, the better. "It was risky to begin with, and now that he's _failed_ , opposition to our faction will grow in the Fire Nation. He made a mistake- which means _you_ made a mistake, in recruiting him as a spy." Her voice became a patronizing sneer, as if explaining something to a child. "If someone makes a mistake, they've shown a weakness. When weakness is found, you remove it, or it removes _you-_ "

 _"Like your father did to you? After I left... and again, before Sozin's Comet."_

Azula froze. Her eyes swiveled to the left, glaring at Ursa. For a moment, rage flared in her chest like a volcano ready to erupt. Then she felt Ty Lee's fingers under the table, squeezing hers gently. Azula closed her eyes briefly and took a slow breath. When she opened them, her mother was gone. She snapped her gaze back to Takeo, who hastily bowed his silver-haired head.

"Forgive me, Fire Lord. I merely meant, as a token of gratitude for the loyalty Nishi has shown our faction-"

"His 'loyalty' hasn't put me any closer to the throne." Azula felt a faint impulse to draw her _kukri_ knife and cleave Takeo's offered skull open. She adopted a tone of indignation instead. "Besides, I've already agreed to wed your son after the Capitol falls, General Takeo- _and_ , to grant him co-rule of the Fire Nation despite the fact that he has no Royal Blood. I'd say _that_ 'token of gratitude' outweighs any services you or Nishi has made _me_."

An undercurrent of anger entered Takeo's voice. "It _is_ my son who's successfully retrieved your niece, giving us leverage over Zuko and opening your path to the throne in the first place-"

"And it's Fire Lord _Azula's_ support you'll need, to secure the warrior-class moderates, like my brother Tianze." Tomoe shot back. "They may not like Zuko, but most of them would hesitate to betray a monarch they've sworn oaths of fealty to; they're too attached to their code of honor."

"They won't abandon Zuko anyway, not until he loses the Mandate of Heaven beyond all doubt. And that won't happen until he faces the _true_ Fire Lord." Takeo glanced across the room. "Talking of which, how's the _Agni Kai_ arena going, Long Feng?"

The Earthbender's pale green eyes moved briefly across Ty Lee and Azula before meeting the General's gaze. Azula didn't like the way Long Feng kept watching the two of them. She'd been careful not to share Ty Lee's bed after reaching Zamyn Togsgol, but the Dai Li continued to tail them both, foolishly thinking she didn't notice. If Long Feng confirmed _this_ weakness... She was considering cutting it out beforehand, following her own advice. It was better for her, and for Ty Lee.

" _If you keep lying to yourself, the way you always did to everyone else, you'll end up tearing yourself apart. Just like you did at your own coronation._ " Ursa's voice came back again, this time stern with reproach, but Azula ignored it, closing her eyes tightly. When Ty Lee reached for her hand again, she slapped it away.

"-Already complete." Long Feng was saying. "We'll be happy to host the Fire Lord's final duel... providing there's no other outside interference."

"There won't be." Takeo gestured at a device held by his adjutant. It consisted of a small wooden box, with a hinged metal bar and several discs and wires protruding from it. "We received a telegram from one of my _other_ spies in the Capitol, Nodoka. Zuko's already left the Fire Nation, he's on his way here."

Long Feng's eyes gleamed with interest as he gazed at the telegraph. "The engineering guild in the United Republic town of Gigye have been working on an electrical device that can transmit messages over great distances. But it requires a generator, and wires to carry the signal."

"Adaptations have to be made, when local resources are limited." Takeo shrugged. "My engineers were isolated in the Western Air Nomad lands, which denied us the option of telegraph wires all the way to the Capitol. Hence, we needed an electro- _magnetic_ device, to transmit wireless signals. Luckily, we have several Firebenders who can generate lightning, so we didn't need to build a flywheel generator-"

"Your spy _saw_ Zuko leave?" Azula interrupted, impatiently. She didn't need Long Feng getting any more technological information than necessary, regardless of Takeo's deal with him.

"Not personally; she overheard someone in the Air Fleet, the day after she sent Zuko my message. I'm afraid I haven't heard from her since. Her ship was probably searched, in which case she destroyed her telegraph to keep it secret. Which means _this_ is the only one left, in existence." Takeo tapped the device. "Nishi never knew about Nodoka, so he can't betray her under interrogation. Still, if she doesn't disguise herself properly, she may wind up in Mai's hands. Either way, she did her duty."

"You shouldn't have confirmed the girl's capture so soon." Long Feng remarked scornfully. "Kuei's been dithering in fear since Princess Hou-Ting's abduction; he still doesn't have a clue who's actually taken her or where she is. And as his indecisiveness grows, his vassal's faith in Ba Sing Se's leadership weakens. Everything you've done to _distract_ Zuko, has just made him more determined to destroy you."

Gritting his teeth, Takeo gave Long Feng an icy smile. "I'll admit, Zuko has more brains _and_ more resolve than your moth-eaten Earth King, which is why we need to _kill_ him rather than turn him into a puppet. But that'll come soon enough. He'll probably try to come alone, sneak into the mountain to rescue his daughter-"

"He _won't_ come alone, and it won't be him that's looking for the girl." Azula interrupted. "Mai will be with him, and _she_ knows the art of stealth. Zuko will just be the distraction." She hadn't seen Mai since the _Kemurikage_ crisis. But when her brother Tomoru had been kidnapped, the noblewoman hadn't panicked; she had come after the _Kemurikage_ with everything she had. She would do the same, if not more, for her daughter.

"You think they _both_ left the Fire Nation?" Takeo frowned. "That seems a reckless gamble, to leave the country leaderless-"

"As was your decision for us to _trust_ the Dai Li. But that didn't stop you, and it'll make our coup all the easier." Azula replied curtly. "Double the guards on the mountain entrance, the moment my niece arrives." Her eyes flicked sideways to Ty Lee, willing her to get the message: _Don't try anything, Ty..._ Please _. Once_ _Mai and Zuko arrive, I won't be able to keep you safe._

Ty Lee met her eyes briefly, then dropped her gaze to the floor, her expression unchanged. Azula felt frustration surge through her, but she kept her face blank, hardened her resolve. Ty Lee could run, or she could submit. Anything else meant death.

"I have one additional request, given that both our factions are nearing our goals." Long Feng spoke up suddenly. "General Takeo's raids against the local villages and the patrols of... 'volunteers' sent by General Fong, have augmented the Dai Li's numbers and undermined the Earth King, as I hoped. But our _area_ of support remains quite small, and the Earth Kingdom is larger than all the other realms combined. When I launch my coup, the Dai Li must be able to respond immediately if any of King Kuei's vassals refuse to submit- particularly the forces of Omashu, who never received my invitation. I have spies across the continent, of course, but their ability to respond is far too slow." He gestured to the telegram. "I believe that _this_ device... may be the answer."

Tomoe's eyes narrowed. "This goes too far. Transports and weapons, within reason. Advanced communications technology, in the hands of Mudslinging turncoats? Not a chance-"

"Then I may have to withdraw my support for your campaign... including the hospitality I'm showing you _now._ You would be expelled from Zamyn Togsgol at once." Long Feng's mouth twitched, as if amused. "That _would_ be a pity, given that you've burned nearly all the nearby communities. Add in the fact that several Earth Kingdom armies are approaching the foothills of the Dragon's Back, in search of suspected Fire Nation forces..."

Tomoe glared at him. "You think we'll stay quiet about your little sanctuary, if we run into Earth Kingdom soldiers? If we go down in flames, we'll turn _you_ to ash with us-"

 _"Enough."_ Takeo finally spoke. "No need for any of us to get bullheaded. The Dai Li have been generous hosts throughout our stay here, have been instrumental in securing the Fire Lord's succession. Perhaps it _is_ time for us to begin paying our dues."

He glanced meaningfully at Azula, who locked eyes with Long Feng. If neither of them could keep this little gamble going, a little longer... After a long pause, she nodded curtly to Takeo's adjutant, who laid the telegram on the table. Long Feng's gaze hung on Takeo for a moment, then he flicked his wrist. The stone surface rippled, sweeping the device across into his hand. He handed it to one of his officers, rose and bowed mockingly in Azula's direction before sweeping out.

"He's less arrogant than when we met in Ba Sing Se, I'll give him that." Azula remarked loudly, as the last of the Dai Li disappeared after their master. She glanced into the flames, then quickly looked away when she saw Ursa's eyes staring back at her. "A pity all his _confidence_ went with it. How many more Mudslingers do you think he had concealed behind the walls, during this meeting?"

Takeo shot her an irritated look, but kept his voice calm and polite. "He remains our ally, at least for the time being, Fire Lord. He keeps his men with him at all times, because he trusts them-"

"You'd think he would have learned from Ba Sing Se." Azula scoffed. "Trusting others leaves you open to attack. His followers deserted him once before, the same may happen again."

"I don't think we can sway the Dai Li to our side this time, Fire Lord." Tomoe spoke up. "None of them have forgotten that you _banished_ them from the Fire Nation just before your- er- coronation, and if they know you don't trust anyone from the start-"

"I did _NOT_ ask for your opinion, Lady Tomoe." Azula suddenly found herself on her feet. The decrepit old wretch really had the gall to bring _that_ up, now? She let her voice rise higher in rage. "There are two _very_ good reasons I don't trust anyone, and one of them is in this room!" She gestured to her right, not looking at Ty Lee. A tongue of blue flame sparked between her fingers. "If you want to become the next example, keep talking. Otherwise, go and prepare your followers for their task."

Tomoe pressed her wrinkled brow to the ground. "Forgive me, Fire Lord. If I spoke out of turn, I will gladly accept your verdict."

For a moment, Azula seriously considered demanding an _Agni Kai_. It _would_ quell any open rebellion from the New Ozai Society, at least... but an _Agni Kai_ would end too quickly. And Tomoe was too useful to be killed or maimed, for now. Still, she would have to keep an eye on her. Azula shook her head. "Just keep your mouth closed, and your ears and eyes open toward the Dai Li. If we can't sway them, we can at least try to figure out exactly when they intend to double-cross us. Get out, before I change my mind." She turned back to Takeo. "You're dismissed as well, General. Oh- and have your son Shingen meet with me, as soon as he arrives with my niece. It's time my _intended_ and I, got to know each other." Once again, she didn't look at Ty Lee.

Takeo followed Tomoe's lead, bowing his head to the stone floor. "As you command, Fire Lord."

* * *

When Izumi's eyes opened again, a pair of amber ones were staring back at her. She noticed a small tattoo in the shape of a _kirin_ on Shingen's cheek, disappearing into his fringe of side-whiskers. Glancing down, she noticed her forearms were manacled again- this time, encasing her entire hands.

Half of her wanted to scream, half of her wanted to spit at him. She opened her mouth, but only a hoarse croak came out; her throat was still raw and dry. Her temple throbbed where Genpei's rock-gauntlet had struck.

Shingen shook his head in exasperation. "That damn Mudslinger. He's obsessed with doing as little harm as possible, keeping you safe, and he nearly killed you. He didn't even bother to give you water; he wouldn't last two days on a Fire Army survival trek." He held a waterskin to her lips, and she guzzled greedily. Once it was empty, he laid it on the ground. Strips of cloth were bound tightly around his hand, where Mai's dart had pierced the palm.

Izumi finally found her voice. "Are you... are you going to kill me?" She'd meant to sound defiant, but to her fury her voice still shook a little. After the way Shingen had threatened her mother, aunt and grand-uncle, his protective gesture confused her a little.

Shingen gave her a curious expression. "...Not _yet_. The Fire Lord wants you kept safe, at least for now-"

"You're working _against_ my father." Izumi's anger made her voice stronger, pushed away the tremor she hated so much. She pushed herself upright on her elbows, wincing as another wave of pain shot through her temple. "You don't serve the Fire Lord."

"I don't serve the _false_ Fire Lord, if that's what you mean." Shingen glanced at her scornfully. "Zuko lost his claim to the throne _twice_ , by law, and Ozai never restored it the second time. The only way for him to regain it was to defeat the current Fire Lord by _Agni Kai._ And that never happened."

"He defeated Azula, during Sozin's Comet." Izumi paused, inhaling through her nose as quietly as she could. The Breath of Fire was the first advanced technique Iroh had taught her; now, it might be her last chance of escape. "He left her lying in chains, screaming and sobbing-"

"He never actually burned Azula, let alone struck her down." Shingen cut her off. "She gave _him_ another scar across his chest, before he sent her to the asylum. And the one who actually beat her was a _Waterbender_ , of all people. Zuko never legally secured his claim. My father and the warrior class only surrendered after Sozin's Comet because they had no better choice. Azula was insane, Ozai had lost his bending, and the other Nations, the White Lotus and the Avatar were united in support of Zuko. But he's weakened his throne, in the last twenty years. Now, it's ripe for the taking."

"He didn't make the Fire Nation weak." Izumi inhaled again, but the energy that should have been gathering in her chest was fading away as quickly as it came. Her rage at the insults toward her father should have made it burn hotter, but instead she felt strangely tired, as if her body was sinking deeper and deeper into cold water. "He gave the people more of a voice in the government than any Fire Lord before him-"

"The _commoners_." Shingen scoffed. "The ones who have never had to plan or lead a campaign, haven't trained for it their entire lives. Only those _educated_ in war or peace should rule."

" _Everyone_... has a voice. Not just the monarchs, not just the leaders." Izumi struggled to remember the words her parents and granduncle had told her, so many times. An icy fog seemed to be gathering around her mind, as hard as she tried to fight it. "And if you don't... listen to them all...they _will_ rise up against you-"

"More of your father's words. He never understood... except for a moment, during the _Kemurikage_ crisis." Shingen shook his head dismissively. "If they rise up against you, you _put them back in their place._ " He gave her an amused look. "And you can forget about the Breath of Fire, Princess. No one's able to bend with two vials of Mábì juice inside them."

He tapped the neck of his empty waterskin. Izumi's eyes fell on it, and a chill passed through her. She struggled to bring her arms upright, but numbness was creeping through her joints; her eyelids were already flickering. Shingen was a traitor and the son of a traitor, why wouldn't he be lying about planning to kill her?

The Colonel noticed her expression and chuckled. "Nothing deadly, Princess, you're worth far too much for that. Just enough, that you won't cause any more... inconvenience, before you're presented to the _real_ Fire Lord."

* * *

Ty Lee knew she shouldn't care. She had been telling herself since the night in the cave, Azula was a danger to everyone she loved. That every memory she had of her, reinforced the fact that she couldn't be trusted, that she was a master of deception.

And she was deceiving Takeo now, with her over-exaggerated temper. Azula might be more unstable than before, after twenty years of lonely exile. But from what Ty Lee had seen on their journey, she was also more cautious. If Takeo had known her as well as Ty Lee did, he would have realized Azula's paranoia wasn't _just_ her mental instability; it had always been her habit, to think two steps ahead of everyone else. The old general was somewhat suspicious of Ty Lee, but though Azula's contemptuous, arrogant outbursts clearly irritated him, he seemed to accept them as part of her 'insanity'. Takeo's troops seemed equally taken in by her act; Ty Lee had overheard several of them expressing skepticism of Azula's leadership, citing her paranoia, instability and lack of battlefield experience.

Long Feng was another matter. The Grand Secretariat had once made the same mistake Takeo was making now: he'd fallen for Azula's feigned weakness, assumed he could handle her. Having been soundly defeated, he was twice as alert now, watching them both like a hawk. Ty Lee understood exactly why Azula hadn't touched her since they entered the stronghold. She knew she shouldn't care. And yet, the Princess' words at the end of the meeting, had stung more than the slap to her hand.

Footsteps sounded in the passage outside. Ty Lee tensed, wondering if another Dai Li agent was shadowing her, but then the door slid back and she relaxed, not turning around. She knew Azula's breathing by heart, after laying next to her for so many nights.

"What have you heard among Takeo's troops?"

"That they're more loyal to him, than to you. That some are anti-monarchists, ready to die just for the chance to oust Zuko-"

"Which is why Takeo is leading them, and not Nishi." Azula shrugged. "Takeo's at least practical enough to get his power base _onto_ the throne before he burns it down. Nishi didn't have to know that."

"I thought you didn't want him to assassinate Zuko-"

"It exposed Nishi as the mole. Zuko and Mai will probably take care of him _for_ me, and they're welcome to; I don't need radicals like _that_ running around, when I take the throne." Azula hesitated, drumming her nails on the doorpost. "I'll... be needing you to re-visit your skills as a spy once more, in the next few days."

"I'm yours." Ty Lee replied mockingly, as she finally turned around.

Azula's eyes narrowed, but she went on. "I need you to keep an eye on Lady Tomoe, and the New Ozai society. Speak with her, see if you can gain her confidence."

Ty Lee was surprised. As opposed to the rabidly-ambitious Takeo, Tomoe seemed more genuinely loyal to Azula. Which was why Azula's outburst at the end of the meeting had come out of nowhere. She feigned a hurt tone. "I'm not going to be your pawn, if all you're going to do is keep holding me up as an example of treachery, like you did back at the meeting -"

"It's for the _girl's_ safety." Azula interrupted. "I...don't trust anyone with my life, except myself. But I do trust _you_ , with hers."

 _"_ Izumi's _life_? What about everything else? I told you, I'm not letting you take her choices away from her this young-"

Azula exhaled, impatiently. "Are we _really_ going down this road again? I gave you a lesson on _choice_ while we were in the mountains, and you ignored it... except for that _one_ moment during the _Agni Kai_ when you tried to cut my throat. If Izumi ignores it, she chooses death." She noticed Ty Lee's expression, and her face softened just a fraction as she came forward. "I... didn't _just_ come to give you orders." Her aura brightened and her tone became slightly playful as she began undoing the clasps of Ty Lee's Kiyoshi jumpsuit. "You said you'd be mine, if you lost our _Agni_ _Kai_."

Ty Lee felt a smile touch the edge of her face, in spite of everything. She leaned forward and kissed Azula's lips; her hands found the knot in the Firebender's sash and untied it. The last two days of their journey through the mountains... she would never forget it. The Princess was surprisingly inexperienced, but once she'd overcome her initial hesitation, her drive easily made up for it. "I don't think... that's _exactly_ what I said-"

"Close enough." Azula pushed Ty Lee back onto the bed and pulled the rest of the jumpsuit off. She tossed her robe aside and straddled Ty Lee, leaning over her.

"Long Feng's agents might hear us-"

"Let them. I've given them enough contradictions in public, that they'll think you're just a fling." Azula bent her head to Ty Lee's throat. "I'm the Fire Lord; I get what I want." Ty Lee winced briefly, and Azula paused "What's wrong?"

"Nothing-"

Azula took her face gently in her hands, turning it until their eyes met. "You're not Mai. You don't hide your emotions _that_ well."

Ty Lee took a deep breath. "Shingen. Is he really... what you want?"

She shouldn't have been surprised by Azula's willingness to betroth herself to Takeo's son. Not that she could ever envision Azula sharing power, but it was a shrewd political move. But unlike Zuko, who had decriminalized same-sex relationships after his coronation, Takeo came from a generation that abhorred homosexuality. In choosing _his_ support for her rule, Azula was denying herself her own identity, her own desires.

Azula hissed scornfully. " _That_ lout? Don't make me laugh. You know everything I said in there was for Takeo's benefit." Her teeth raked Ty Lee's left breast, making her dizzy, then moved to the right one. "You... _actually_ thought there was any substance to those comments?"

"I never know... what to believe, from you." Ty Lee was panting, but she forced herself to form the words, even as her aura flared a shocking-pink shade. "Trust... no one, remember?" She pushed herself onto her elbows, forcing Azula to lean back. "But... I'll admit it, it hurt a bit. Knowing that you're going to be... with him. Knowing that you know I love you, even though I don't expect you to say it back, and you're still choosing someone else."

Azula met her gaze. For a split second, something like guilt flickered in her golden eyes, then vanished. "This has never been about _you_ , Ty. It's a political expediency that was decided, long before I saved your ass at Omori." But a moment later, her expression softened slightly. "If it's any consolation, Shingen means nothing to _me_. He'll be my official consort, nothing more. The _buffer_ that keeps Takeo from eliminating me, once he's become the supposed power behind my throne. But, in the meantime..." Her hand came to rest on Ty Lee's thigh. "...The two of us will be able to do whatever we like, behind the palace doors."

Ty Lee felt a small stab of pain at the 'behind doors' reference; she'd never had to hide any of her past relationships with men _or_ women on Kiyoshi Island. She pushed it to the back of her mind, bringing her hands to Azula's breasts. "What about... succession?"

"What... about it?" Azula inhaled sharply as Ty Lee squeezed. "I have Izumi. Shingen will serve his... purpose, until my throne is secure. Then, I'll do to him and Takeo what my father should have done, years ago. As long as I have my niece... or, if she proves unsuitable, perhaps Shingen can give me a child before his time comes... And then, _no_ _one_ can threaten you. Can threaten _us_."

Ty Lee felt a jolt go down her spine as Azula's hand slid down her abdomen. Even now, she was reminded just how ruthless this woman was. But Azula's order to spy on Lady Tomoe gave her an opportunity. She couldn't escape and warn Zuko and Mai, not with the Dai Li tailing her everywhere. But if she was able to somehow gain Tomoe's confidence, turn her _and_ the New Ozai Society against Takeo... it seemed unlikely, but it might give her another option for protecting or rescuing Izumi. One that _might_ end with Azula alive...

At the Boiling Rock, Ty Lee had chosen love over duty. Now, she was choosing duty over love.

* * *

Izumi's cheek was pressed against a smooth, soft surface. Not her _futon_ at the palace, but more comfortable than the ostrich-horse. How long had she been unconscious _this_ time?

She opened her eyes, but a strange greenish light nearly blinded her, and she quickly closed them again. Her hand went to her forehead, and she noticed her stone manacles were gone. She opened her eyes again and sat up slowly, ignoring the dizzy feeling in her stomach. Once the last of Shingen's sedative wore off, surely she could try to escape again?

But as she looked around the rock-cut cell, she realized that her captors didn't need to restrain her anymore. The cell was lit by luminous crystals fitted into the ceiling, and the only opening was a steel door with a barred portal.

Her eyes fell on a symbol, carved into the wall. Three spiraling crescents, encircling each other... the symbol of the Air Nomads. Was she being held at an Air Temple? Dad _had_ said Takeo's fortress was near the Western Temple, but... Genpei and Shingen had been talking about an Earth Kingdom village nearby. So... perhaps the _Northern_ Temple. Bumi would know, if he was here; He'd visited all four of them with his parents, at least once.

Carefully, she pulled herself upright. Hugging the wall in case dizziness overwhelmed her again, she made her way to the door and peered through the bars. The passage outside was the same as her cell, roughly cut from rock. She could make out the outline of a single armored guard in the passage, wearing the same black and bronze armor as the other Fire Nation rebels.

She flexed her fingers carefully, then inhaled. Immediately, she felt the fire building in her chest; Shingen's potion wasn't affecting her bending anymore, at least. She spoke out, in the commanding tone she used for the guards at the palace: "You, out there! Where am I?"

A hand slammed against the other side of the door, jolting it. "Shut up in there!"

"You've got no right to imprison me like this!" Izumi hammered her palms on the door in response. "This is Air Nomad soil! You're desecrating the graves of pacifists by using it as a jail-"

"What would _you_ know about the Air Nomads?!" The guard suddenly turned, glaring through the bars. "One of them killed my great-grandfather, during the first Sozin's Comet campaign. Does that sound pacifist to you?"

Izumi flinched, then caught herself. She hadn't expected to get his attention so quickly, but if she could provoke him into opening the door... "Maybe they wouldn't have if our ancestors hadn't been _stupid_ enough to attack them in their homeland! _Anyone_ would fight back-"

There was the noise of a heavy bolt being drawn back, and the door flew open. Izumi stepped back hastily as her guard filled the doorway, flame crackling over his left hand. "Don't talk about _our_ ancestors, you spoiled Royalist brat. _Your_ ancestors sent _mine_ to their deaths, while they sat back and watched thousands die on the battlefield. While Takeo was paying his respects to the fallen and leading us to victory, your grandfather was planning to burn everything he couldn't loot and pillage for himself!"

The accusations stung, but Izumi let the hurt fuel her anger, feeling fire building in her chest, her narrow palms. "Takeo's just leading you to your death! Besides, I've never even _met_ my grandfather, and my father gave war reparations back to the other Nations-"

"He didn't give _anything_ back to his own soldiers, though, did he?" The guard scoffed. "He took the rightful spoils of war from us, what we'd earned with sweat and blood-"

"We're not _fighting_ a war anymore, we haven't since before I was born!" Izumi's mind was _screaming_ at her that this was dangerous, but she let her voice turn scornful, bracing herself. "But what should I expect, from an ignorant soldier who can't even understand, let alone _read_ the Mandate of Heaven-"

She leaped and rolled aside as the guard suddenly hurled a fireball at her. Sending flame jets through her heels, she rocketed toward the other side of the cell and released the rest of the energy into a long fire-whip, the same technique she'd used on Aunt Kiyi. The guard let out a roar of pain as it coiled around his thigh, burning through his leggings and throwing him off-balance. Before he could recover, Izumi sent a barrage of six fireballs at him one after the other, knocking him down. She jumped back, ready to dodge a counterattack, but it never came. She allowed herself a brief moment of satisfaction; she'd finally remembered _not_ to close the distance, before the final blow. Granduncle Iroh would have been pleased.

Turning, she sprinted out the door and into the passage. She had no idea where she was, but the statue of a monk with arrow tattoos several yards down confirmed her suspicion: The Dai Li and Takeo's rebels were hiding in an Air Nomad settlement. She paused on the edge of the entrance to a massive chamber, where six armored Firebenders were training together. A sergeant stood behind them, barking instructions as they launched charged fireballs in perfect synchronization; in another corner, a man and a woman were generating lightning. Izumi felt a surge of fear and anger. After all her father and Aang had done to show that peace was the better choice, there were still those who were stupid enough to think that _war_ would solve their problems.

As Izumi continued through the tunnels, she noticed it was getting brighter; there were more crystals fitted into the ceiling, and the stone walls were smoother and more carefully cut. Turning another corner, she came across another barred steel door. The only guard was a young woman wearing a yellow robe and an Earth Kingdom scarf. As she withdrew a bone whistle from her robe, Izumi drop-kicked at her, followed by two quick fist-jabs. Her attacks threw the woman back against the passage wall; she collapsed, stunned.

"Hello? Who's out there? Joo Dee, what's making that terrific racket?!" A shrill female voice came from inside the chamber.

Warily, Izumi pressed her ear to the door, not willing to show her face in case there was an enemy inside. The voice sounded very familiar, though... "Hello? Did they kidnap you, too?"

"If _that's_ the word you want to use for it. 'Kidnap' implies I am a child. I came of age two months ago!"

Izumi suddenly recognized the haughty tone, again from her father's diplomatic visits to Ba Sing Se. "...Princess Hou-Ting?" She yanked the bolt back and threw the door open. A black-haired teenage girl wearing an ornate green-and-gold robe stared back at her, looking just as surprised as she was.

The heir to the Earth Kingdom finally spoke, her tone indignant. "Princess... _Izumi_? So you _did_ conspire with your father and these Dai Li traitors, to kidnap me!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Izumi grabbed her hand and began half-dragging her out of her cell. "I'm gonna get you out of here-"

They rounded the corner and ran right into a pair of Dai Li agents. Izumi attacked immediately; if she ran, the Earthbenders could easily immobilize her against the tunnel walls. _"Run!_ " She yelled at Hou-Ting, who seemed frozen, unsure of whether to escape or argue. "You're not a bender, you can't do any good here! See if you can find a way out!"

She managed to knock down of the Dai Li with her first strike, but the second one launched his stone glove at her, and she was forced to dodge. The agent turned his attention to the Earth Princess, who was finally running away, but not fast enough. Already, there were shouts of alarm coming from multiple directions. Izumi ground her teeth in frustration. As the Dai Li launched his other glove at Hou-Ting's wrist, Izumi conjured fire-daggers on each of her fists and leaped directly at him. The Earthbender stumbled backward, frantically summoning new stones and earth from the tunnel walls to parry her strikes. Izumi leaped, spun and delivered a flaming axe-kick that broke through his defenses, hitting him in the solar plexus. He toppled to the ground, but as Izumi glanced back to Hou-Ting, she noticed more benders- Earth and Fire alike- in the passage beyond, rushing toward them. Grabbing the Earth Princess' hand again, she leaped over the fallen Dai Li and ran with everything she had.

As they sprinted around the corner, a streak of blue light shot past Hou-Ting's shoulder. There was a _whoosh_ and a burst of heat, and a wall of sapphire-colored flames stretched across the passage, stopping them both in their tracks.

"Just block the entrance." A high, cold voice came from behind her. "Don't restrain her. We don't want her thinking _that's_ the level the monarchy has descended to."

Izumi and Hou-Ting spun around. Standing at the entrance of a side-passage, flanked by two guards, was a tall woman in black and gold armor. Her dark hair was drawn into a topknot, except for two sleek tresses that framed her pale face. She flicked her wrist, and the wall of flames faded, revealing three more black-armored Firebenders behind it.

Another woman suddenly pushed her way between them; she wore the same yellow robe and green Earth Kingdom scarf as Hou-Ting's cell guard. Folding her hands into her sleeves, she bowed low to the Earth Princess. "Your Highness. Please allow me to escort you back to your quarters, for your own safety and comfort."

Izumi felt a chill run down her spine. The woman's mouth was fixed into a wide, toothy smile, but her eyes were empty black pools, staring straight through them.

Hou-Ting looked ready to argue, but she closed her mouth as two more Dai Li agents suddenly appeared, flanking her. Bobbing her head briefly in Izumi's direction, she said, in a tone that was both scorn and reluctant gratitude, "I... appreciate your chivalrous rescue attempt, Princess of the _Fire Nation_. Ill-carried out though it was."

As the Dai Li hustled the Earth Princess back to her cell, the armored woman turned her attention back to Izumi. She cocked her head sideways, a curious expression on her face. "Do you know who I am, child?"

Izumi stared back. She'd never met this woman before, but her features seemed very familiar...

And then, it clicked. _Blue_ fire. And the eyes were the same shade of gold as Izumi's father, the same eyes _she_ saw in a mirror. But Zuko's eyes were warm, rarely burning with hot anger. These eyes were cold, fierce, predatory.

"...You're Princess Azula. My... my _aunt_."

And suddenly, Izumi couldn't turn away. This was her father's younger sister and her mother's former friend, the one the other Academy students were told stories about by their parents, to scare them into obedience. This was the woman who had conquered Ba Sing Se, struck down the Avatar, and tried to kill both her parents. Izumi had always imagined her as her father had last described her: in her disguise as a _Kemurikage_ spirit, dark purple robes billowing smoke and a sinister black-and-white mask. But the figure in front of her was very human, in spite of the frightening look in her eyes.

Azula raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. You're made of sterner stuff than your father. I hear you already tried to escape once, on the way here?" She nodded when Izumi didn't respond. "Not revealing more than you have to... Good. But both times you were caught quickly enough; you didn't think through what to do once you broke loose. You should know better than to rescue someone who's a liability, when your _own_ survival is on the line. No matter, that can be corrected... soon enough." Her eyes narrowed as they focused on Izumi's forehead. "Colonel Shingen!" She barked.

A moment later Shingen appeared at Azula's side, bobbing his head in a brief bow. "You sent for me, Fire Lord Azula?" He shot Izumi a glare, then put an oily smile on his face and turned back to Azula. Once again, Izumi was confused by his actions. Shingen had called Azula insane on their journey, but now his tone was polite and respectful. What was he playing at?

"Her face is bruised, and cut." Azula gestured at Izumi's right temple and cheek. Her voice was quiet, but like Iroh, Izumi could sense the fury hidden behind the calm. "I believe my message to your father was, 'not a scratch?'"

Shingen didn't seem to notice her dangerous tone. "Apologies, Fire Lord; if we'd had ointment, I would have applied it to her injuries myself. She was knocked out during the abduction. Then, when the Dai Li were retrieving her during her escape attempt-"

Azula suddenly whirled on him, jamming her armored forearm across his chest; she shoved him back against the passage wall, pinning his arm to his side. A blue fire-dagger flared over her hand, inches from his face. One of the guards took a half-step forward, then hastily moved back.

"You let _those_ traitors touch her?!" Azula snarled, her eyes blazing. "I knew you couldn't be trusted to keep them in line!"

"I swear, I took her from them as soon as we re-captured her!" Shingen desperately craned his head back. "The only reason we couldn't earlier was because our Combustionbender kept taking their side-"

"The name of the one who marked her, and this Combustionbender. _Now_."

"The Dai Li agent's a Lieutenant. Name of Genpei." Shingen's eyes blinked rapidly as the flame approached his eyes. "But the Combustionbender didn't mark the girl-"

" _Both_ names, if you want to _see_ on our wedding day!" Azula moved her dagger closer.

Shigen took a deep breath, closing his eyes tightly. "...Rila. Her name's Rila."

"Much better." Azula opened her fist, and the fire-dagger dissipated. "I expect nothing but honesty, if you're to join the Royal Line, _Colonel_. Otherwise, I may have to look elsewhere. Have this... Rila and Genpei brought before Takeo, Long Feng and I at our next conference. Now, get out of my sight."

Shingen bowed low, then left quickly. Izumi felt her limbs shaking. It wasn't Azula's sudden outburst that startled her; she'd seen her father in a rage before. But what Shingen had mentioned earlier, before he drugged her... about the 'real' Fire Lord. And Azula had just said 'our wedding day'...Suddenly, everything fell into place.

"No need to look so alarmed, _niece._ This isn't the end for you, it's an opportunity." Azula's lip curled as she turned back toward Izumi. "How... _exactly_ did you managed to get out of your cell?"

Izumi summoned her last shred of defiance. "I... provoked my guard to attack me. It was easier than I thought, maybe you need to _train_ them better."

To her surprise, an approving smile spread across her aunt's face, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Initiative... _good_. But on the other hand, I'll have to make an example of that guard. We can't have _commoners_ attacking our family, without a formal _Agni Kai_ challenge. That privilege is only held by those of Royal Blood... something your _father_ needs to be reminded of."

Azula lifted her hand, curved her fingers into a teardrop shape. A small crescent of blue fire danced above her pointed nails, spiraling and coiling around itself... like the fire-dragon that Ran and Shaw had conjured for Izumi at Phleung Wōat. "Talking of whuch... how would you like to learn _real_ Firebending?"


End file.
